


The Seven Labors of Amitie

by badgerdactyl



Category: Puyo Puyo
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badgerdactyl/pseuds/badgerdactyl
Summary: When Professor Accord's away for a guest lecture, the Primp Town students get to play! Unfortunately, Amitie's a pretty popular girl -everyonewants to hang out with her! Can Amitie keep it together or will she end up leaving someone - or something - behind?





	1. Chapter 1

_ This is it. I can’t take it anymore! _ Amitie thought, staring at the clock at the front of the classroom, fighting tooth and nail to keep her eyes open. With a yawn, she looked down at her notebook, filled with absent-minded doodles of stars, hearts, and Puyos rather than anything pertaining to the lecture, and propped her head up with her hand.  _ Just a little longer! Hurry it up, clock! _ She spun her pen idly in her hand as she narrowed her eyes, trying to will the second hand to move faster until, finally, it completed its rotation.

**_Bing bong~♪! Bing bong~♪!_ **

Amitie let out a cheer, throwing her hands into the air before clasping her mouth shut. “Sorry!” she squeaked, slumping into her chair and covering her face.

As everyone’s laughter died down, Professor Accord smiled serenely at the front of the room. “May I continue, Amitie?” Seeing her nod, she continued addressing the class. “As I was saying, please remember that we will not be meeting tomorrow. I have been invited to give a guest lecture in the next town.”

From the first row, Klug raised his hand like a shot. “Professor! Would you kindly send my regards to Lemres if you get the opportunity to see him?”

“If I have the time, I’ll make sure to tell Lemres and Feli that you  _ all  _ send them your regards,” she replied, spreading her arms out and gesturing to the whole class. “As for today, try to enjoy the nice spring breeze. Class is dismissed.”

Amitie let out a sigh of relief as she started packing her materials into her bag, trying not to laugh at Klug muttering to himself in front of her. She paused for a moment and looked around her desk.  _ Where did I put my- _

“Amitie?” Accord called. “May I speak with you for a moment, please?”

_Oh, phooey_ , Amitie thought as she spotted her pen in the professor’s hand. “Sure thing!” she said, standing up from her chair and watching the other students leave the room. “Sorry about throwing my pen,” she said sheepishly as she walked over to her and retrieved it.

“Oh, that’s quite alright.”

“That was a pawsitively shameful display!” Popoi shouted from atop Accord’s shoulder, bouncing this way and that and nearly falling from his perch. “That meowtrageous outburst just then - what do you have to say for yourself?”

Amitie jumped, sending the pen flying once again into the air. “Sorry, Popoi! Er, I guess, sorry, Professor Accord?”

Accord covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a laugh. Regaining her composure, she said, “Amitie, I noticed your grades are slipping. Would you be interested in doing a supplemental assignment?”

“Sub-lamental?” Amitie tilted her head and put her finger to her chin. “Like, an assignment about being sad underground?”

“Purrhaps you should say it diffurently…”

“An extra credit assignment, Amitie,” Accord clarified with a smile. “Something to get your grades back on track?”

“Get real - really? That would be great!” she said, leaning forward with a beaming smile. “What do you want me to do?”

Accord walked towards the windows, tilting her head this way and that, humming as she thought of a reply. “The moonsunflowers are looking wonderful this year,” she said at last. As Amitie walked up next to her, she continued, “I believe they’ll be blooming soon, too. Why not write a report about them?”

“The moonsunflowers?” Amitie repeated, looking out at the gardens below the window. “Well, they’re definitely pretty! But, if I’m being honest, I don’t know how much I could write about them.”

“Oh, there are plenty of different topics you can explore regarding these flowers,” she replied with a wave of her cane. “You could write a botanical report on their growth and bloom cycles…”

“A scientific study of their use in medicine, food, and purrfumes…”

“A literary analysis of their repeated use as a symbol of friendship…”

“A magical report of the pawsitive and negative effects they have on certain spells and potions…”

“Or even a historical analysis of their use as a symbol of peace during the Tranquil Age.”

“G-Get really real,” Amitie said, slumping her shoulders. “That’s a lot of work for a pretty little flower to do! You want me to write about all that?”

Accord chuckled as she waved her hand in circles, bringing Amitie’s pen to her hand in a cloud of sparks. “You should just pick one topic to focus on,” she said, holding the pen out to her with a smile. “Luckily, you’ll have all day to pick your topic and conduct research. Do you think you could have this essay for me in two days?”

“So, when we have class next?” Seeing her nod, Amitie took the pen back. “I’ll do my best, Professor Accord!” she exclaimed, flashing a peace sign with her empty hand.

“I know you will,” Accord replied with a smile before collecting her belongings and walking out of the room. “Have a nice day!”

Her head still spinning with ideas, Amitie let out a sigh and walked back to her desk. She put the pen back in her bag and quickly swung it over the shoulder, dashing out of the classroom and straight into a mess of pink, curly hair.

“Oof!” Amitie took a step back and shook her head. “Oh, Hi, Raffina!”

“Well,  _ excuse _ you, Amitie!” Raffina cried, running her fingers through her hair and straightening it. “Honestly!”

“S-Sorry! I wasn’t expecting anyone to be standing by the doorway this late after class,” Amitie said as she folded her arms. “Were you looking for Professor Accord? You must have  _ just _ missed her! You always have the worst luck with-”

“No, actually,” she interrupted with a toss of her hair. “I needed to talk to  _ you  _ about something. But, first,” she added, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward with her hands on her hips, “is everything alright? You two were talking in there for quite a while.”

“Huh?” Amitie tilted her head. “Oh, that. Yeah, there’s no problem!” She flashed a smile and laughed as she looked at Raffina’s unchanging expression. “Just talking about my grades,” she added. “You know how it is!”

“I’m afraid I  _ don’t _ ‘know how it is,’” she replied, rolling her fingers against her hip. She leaned back and folded her arms. “I guess I’ll take your word for it. Anyway, I need to ask a favor of you.”

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

Raffina brought her hand to her mouth and let out a laugh. “I’m glad you asked!” she exclaimed, giving her hair another toss over her shoulder. “A proper lady must always be in proper form - always working to improve herself, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I guess so!”

“Well, it’s been far too long since I timed myself running. How can I be certain I’ve gotten stronger if I don’t have the numbers to compare?” Without waiting for a response, she continued, “Therefore, I was wondering if you’d be available tomorrow to help me record my running times.”

Amitie blinked. “Does it have to be tomorrow?”

“I’d like to get this done as soon as possible, you understand. We can meet here first thing in the morning - bright and early! I trust that should be okay with you?”

“Well, if it’s first thing in the morning…”

“Excellent,” Raffina said, spinning on her heels. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then!” she said with a wave as she started walking down the hallway. “Remember - be here bright and early!”

Amitie dropped her head and scratched the back of her neck.  _ That should be okay, I guess_, she thought as she walked through the hallway.  _ I can help her out and then go straight to the library - no problem! _ She stepped outside of the school and took a breath of fresh air, smiling as the warm sun kissed her cheeks. As she walked down the stairs, her eyes widened as she spotted a familiar face. “Oh! Hey, Lidelle!”

“A-Amitie!” Lidelle waved to her before meeting her at the bottom of the stairs. “D-Did you get in trouble with Professor Accord?” she asked as she covered her face with her long, flowing sleeves.

“Huh? O-Oh, no! N-Nothing like that!” Amitie answered, wincing slightly as she noticed she picked up Lidelle’s stutter.

“That’s a relief,” she said with a sigh. “I got worried because you almost fell asleep in class again.”

With a chuckle, Amitie said, “I can’t help it sometimes! At least we have a break tomorrow! Maybe I should just take a day-long nap?”

“A-Actually,” Lidelle stammered, leaning over and looking towards the side of the school. “I-If you’re not already busy, I w-was wondering if you could help me with something tomorrow.”

Amitie bit the side of her lip. “S-Sure,” she replied with a smile, “I’m not too busy! What do you need?”

“You know the rabbit hutch at the side of the school?” Seeing her nod, Lidelle continued, “The rabbits are supposed to be let out every day so they can play and move around. I’m w-worried that, if we don’t have class tomorrow, no-one will come and play with them.”

“Oh! That’s so very noble of you, Lidelle!”

Lidelle smiled as she covered her reddening cheeks. “T-Thank you! But, even if I’m with the rabbits, it could be pretty lonely with just me at the school.” She dropped her head and turned her foot this way and that into the walkway. “D-Do you think you could help me tomorrow?”

Amitie hummed as she folded her arms across her chest. “Not so sound rude or anything, but that kinda sounds like something right up Tarutaru’s alley, don’t you think?”

“Ah!” Lidelle snapped her head up. “W-Well, I had a-already asked him, b-but he said he already had p-plans for tomorrow,’ she explained, wringing her hands out in front of her.

“I see! Well, I’m already meeting Raffina at the school tomorrow morning,” Amitie said with a shrug. “Would it be okay if I just waited for you here after we’re done?”

Lidelle’s eyes flew wide open. “T-That sound’s fine! T-Thank you!” She brought her hands up to her face as she turned, calling “I’ll see you tomorrow!” behind her sleeves.

Amitie closed her eyes and hummed.  _ I wonder if she’s okay? I don’t remember her stuttering  _ that  _ much… _ She popped her eyes open and shrugged. “Oh, well!” she said aloud. “Raffina, Lidelle, then straight to the library!”

 

Amitie walked through the cobblestone roads of Primp, flowing through the crowd and taking in the sights and sounds of the hustle and bustle with a smile.  _ I guess I could go to the library  _ today _ and pick out my topic_ , she thought, passing by another row of shops. She stopped in the road and turned, her head pulled from the clouds as she heard a voice call her name from down the lane. “Amitie! Amitie! Oh, thank my lucky stars that  _ you _ passed by today~!”

“Oshare Bones?” 

“The one and only! At your service,” he said, running up to her and taking a bow. With a tip of his hat, he pulled a cloth measuring tape out of his sleeve and starting sizing her up. “Though, if I’m behind honest, I could really use  _ your _ services, honey.”

“What do you mean?” she asked as he took her arm and held it out to measure it.

“I am  _ delighted _ that you would ask! You see - other arm, please - I had a client come in from out of town who put in an order for some formalwear.” He set down her arm and put the tape around her waistline. “We got to talking - you know how  _ that _ goes - and before I know it, she heads on home.  _ But! _ ” he shouted, rolling the tape with a flourish and pocketing it. “Silly me, I forgot the girl’s measurements! How terribly dreadful, wouldn’t you say? I could just about drop dead~!”

“That’s awful!” Amitie exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. “I don’t see how I can help though - I guess I could try to track her down?”

“Oh, darling, that won’t be necessary,” he said with a wave of his hand. “See, I  _ thought _ she reminded me of you and I was absolutely right - like always. The two of you have  _ very _ similar body types - why, I bet you two could look like twins! So, with that in mind, how about you help me with trying on some of her outfits tomorrow?”

“Get real! Tomorrow?”

“Well, I have to sew them all up tonight~!”

Amitie pouted. “But, won’t the measurements be wrong if you use my numbers instead of hers?”

“Are you listening?” Oshare Bones tapped the tip of her nose. “Like I said, your measurements should be similar. If you do the modeling, I’ll have a good idea of how they’ll look on my client. Besides, I can just make little adjustments for her when she picks them up.”

She slumped her shoulders with a sigh. “Oshare Bones, I have a few other things to take care of, tomorrow…”

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head!” he exclaimed. “You know my shop opens early and stays open late! Besides, I really would appreciate this, dear. You would be doing me a  _ huge _ favor~!”

“Alright, then,” she said, picking herself up with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” She waved him off as he walked back into his shop. As the door closed, he clapped her hands against her cheeks and sighed.  _ Oh, phooey. This is starting to get complicated_. She turned around and dropped her head and her hands, taking a few steps forward before bumping into a wall of blue, shining armor. “Sorry, Arle!”

Arle turned, smiling as she put up her hands. “Amitie! Don’t sweat it - I was just looking for you, actually!”

Amitie giggled. “Oh, were you? I’m glad you found me, then!” she said, flashing a peace sign.

Carbuncle scurried up Arle’s leg and jumped up onto her shoulder, adding an excited series of 'Gu-gu!'s to the conversation.

“Hush, I’m asking, I’m asking!” Arle said as she scratched the top of his head with a smile. “So, Amitie, the other day, Carby and I got our hands on some  _ crazy _ spicy curry powder! We were wondering if we could come over to your house and let us try it out in a recipe!”

“Huh? Why  _ my _ house?”

Arle narrowed her eyes. “You’ve seen where I live, right? The ‘kitchen,'” she said, making a grand gesture out of her air quotes, “isn’t quite up to our curry-making standards, if you catch my drift.”

Amitie closed her eyes and thought of their ‘quaint’ living arrangement since they had arrived in this world. “I guess that would make sense…”

“Then it’s settled,” Arle said, clapping her hands. “You’ll be free to help us with lunch tomorrow, right?”

“What?” Amitie felt her heart drop. “Tomorrow?”

“Carby and I still need to buy all of the ingredients. But, hey! Think of it this way - we get all the stuff, you provide the kitchen and you basically get a free lunch! Right, Carby?”

“Gu,” he said, turning his head away and folding his little arms. “Gu gu-gu-gu gu!”

“What?” Come on, Carby, of  _ course _ we’re gonna share! After all, Amitie is being nice enough to let us use her kitchen - it’s only fair!”

Carbuncle slid off of his shoulder perch with a whine.

“Oh, don’t mind him, Amitie!” Arle bent down, picked him up and placed him back on her shoulder. “So, whaddya say? Are we on for tomorrow?”

Amitie closed her eyes and hummed before giving her a shrug. “How could I turn down a free lunch by the great chefs Arle and Carbuncle?” With a smiled, she added, “I’d be glad to have you over tomorrow!”

Arle cheered and pulled Amitie into a hug. “Thank you so much!” She pulled away and left her hands on her shoulders. “I’m gonna warn you, though - you’re gonna be helping out, too, you know!”

“Huh? Arle, you  _ know _ I’m a disaster in the kitchen!”

“Now, now, don’t say that!” she chuckled, shaking her finger dismissively. “Like you said, you’ve got two great chefs helping you out! Plus, food tastes  _ so _ much better when you know that  _ you’ve _ worked hard on making it!”

Amitie gave her a weak smile. “I guess I’ll have to work extra hard, then, so it’s extra delicious!”

“That’s more like it! Come on, Carby!” she exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. “We’ve gotta get all the ingredients ready for tomorrow! See ya, Amitie!” Arle gave a quick wave before turning on her heels and walking into the crowd. Carbuncle leapt off of her shoulder and offered his own wave before bouncing along the road beside her.

Amitie sighed as she watched them disappear into the crowd.  _ First Raffina and Lidelle, now Oshare Bones, Arle, and Carbuncle? _ She rubbed her temples as a headache started to throb. The pleasant chatter of the crowd slowly grew louder and more cacophonous as Amitie tried to think through tomorrow.  _ Ugh! There  _ has  _ to be a quieter place to think! _

 

Amitie sat at the edge of the dock, dangling her legs just above the water. She leaned back and propped herself up with her hands, closing her eyes and letting the breeze blow by and carry the salty scent of the sea. She sighed as the clutter in her mind dissolved with the gentle waves below.  _ Finally, _ she thought.  _ Some peace and quiet _ .

“Amitie!” a shrill voice called from down the dock.

_ Of course, it wouldn’t be quiet here_.  _ Why would it be?  _ She sat upright and turned her head towards the source of the voice. “Hello, your oceanness!”

Ocean Prince smiled as he sidled up to her side and swung his fins over the water. “What brings thou on this fair afternoon?”

Amitie leaned forward, put her elbows on her knees and began rubbing her temples. “Just enjoying the peaceful view, I guess. It’s so quiet here!”

“Ah. I see!”

She closed her eyes and leaned back again, focusing on the sound of the waves and the cool breeze. She took a deep breath and smiled, exhaling with a contented sigh.

“Well, it is most fortunate that I was able to locate thee-”

_ Oh, get really real! _ Her eyes popped open and her mouth dropped into a pout.

“- because I want to make a request of thee.”

“A request? So, you mean a favor, right?”

“I’m elated to see thou dost understand. Though, I suppose it is more of a solicitation or a demand.” He looked up at her vacant expression and stood up. “I  _ beseech _ thee, Amitie!” he cried. “Otomo hast been  _ relentless _ in mine pursuit and I fear he may soon be successful in bringing me back to the castle!”

Amitie tilted her head and pulled her legs back onto the dock. “Isn’t that how it usually goes, though?”

“Not quite!” he replied, raising a fin like one might raise their finger. “His efforts are becoming more and more robust! It has thus become necessary for me to practice my competency in concealing myself from others, should the need arise.”

“Con-seal-ing?” Amitie held her finger to her chin. “Are seals known to be shady con-artists?”

“Insolence! Thou surely knows I refer to my ability to hide!”

“Oh,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “That  _ does _ make more sense.”

“I’m pleased to see we have come to an understanding.” Ocean Prince turned from her and started walking down the dock, his head held high as he said, “I shall reconvene with thee tomorrow for our practice. I presume I shall find thee here again?”

“Wait a minute! Tomorrow?” She turned her whole body towards the end of the dock and reached her hand out towards him. “Are you sure we can’t do this some other time?”

“How audacious!” he shrieked, turning around to face her. “Dost thou question me? Dost thou not seest that thou art addressing  _ royalty_?”

“I-I do  _ seest _ that,” she said, slowly dropping her hand to her side, “but you’re not really listening to me! I really don’t think-”

Ocean Prince dashed over to her side. He slumped against her arm and held onto it and, in a voice just above a whisper, said, “Amitie, I truly fear the worst if I am unable to evade capture. Please, assist me in this endeavor.”

Amitie sighed and hopelessly looked back at the shoreline, trying desperately to think of a way to explain herself to the tiny prince. Her mind froze, however, as her eyes locked onto two familiar faces standing in the grassy field. More importantly, she noticed the two of them speaking with a blond man clad in green with a sword on his hip. Even  _ more _ importantly, she noticed one of the uniformed students pointing her way. “Oh, jeez! Isn’t that your butler over there?” she asking, swiftly standing upright.

“Otomo!” Ocean Prince tightened his grip on her arm, kicking and flailing his legs. “Amitie, release me at once!”

She turned around, running nervously in place as she looked around her. “There’s not really a place for you to hide around here!” With a gulp, she took Ocean Prince into both of her hands and quickly shouted, “ _I’m really sorry about this! I’ll see what I can do about tomorrow! Just don’t be mad about this, okay? Okay, bye! _ ” before launching him into the sea with all of her might.

“Ah! Excuse me!” Otomo called as he approached the end of the dock as Amitie watched the prince land in the ocean with a tremendous  _ splash! _ against the waves. “You there, Miss, in the dashing red cap! Have you seen our prince? I was told he might be close by!”

“I think you  _ just _ missed him,” she replied, turning around with a shrug. “I-I think, maybe, he went out to sea?”

“Oh, no!” he cried, covering his mouth with a hand. “Oh, my, this is terrible! Miss, I must commandeer a vessel and set sail at once!” He took one of her hands and shook it vigorously with both of his as he added, “Thank you very much! I bid you good day!” He turned on his heels and ran down the shoreline, calling his prince’s lengthy name all the while.

_ I’m not sure how deer - especially regular ones! - are gonna help you find a boat… _ Amitie thought, dropping her head with a sigh. She brushed herself off and stepped onto the grass, looking up just in time to notice a set of fiery twin tales barrelling down the path towards her.

“Amitie!” the girl cried, swinging her arms around her, nearly knocking the two of them over.

“Oof! Hey, Ringo!” she said as she returned the hug. As she pulled away, she commented, “Still stuck in Primp, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ringo sighed, folding her arms. “It’s only been a few days. Luckily, we were already on vacation this time! Though, between you and me,” she added, leaning in and lowering her voice, “Risukuma’s still really preoccupied with finding a way to get us back home and I’m pretty sure Maguro’s getting antsy because he can’t charge his phone.”

“Ringo, it’s not like we don’t have electricity in Primp, you know!”

“I know that! He didn’t bring his charger, though. We don’t really  _ plan _ these trips to your world that often, you know? We mostly get blasted here by chance,” she added with an uneasy smile.

Amitie hummed as she folded her arms. “Couldn’t you just charge it for him? I mean, you know electric magic, don’t you? You could just  _ bzt! bzt!  _ it,” she said while making a zapping motion with her fingers, “and then it should charge!”

“Amitie, I’m gonna level with ya,” Maguro said as he approached the girls, placing an arm around Amitie’s shoulder. “I trust Ringo with a lot of different things.  _ Electrocuting  _ my phone is probably never going to be one of them. ★”

Amitie whined as she watched Ringo stick her tongue out at him. “I’m sure she’d do a good job! I mean, she’s gotten really good with her magic, lately!”

“Oh, I know that,” he said, taking his arm back with a shrug. “I’m  _ still  _ worried that she’d get too excited and just blow it sky high, though! ★”

“I can concede that that’s not totally outside the realm of possibility,” she grumbled with a slump of her shoulders. “So, Amitie, what’s the deal with that green guy? He sure took off in a hurry.”

“Otomo? He’s just looking for Ocean Prince, as usual. I think he said he wanted to find some regular deer to find him a boat?”

“Some regular deer?”

“Why would deer help him find a boat? ★”

“That’s what I thought!” Amitie exclaimed. “He said he wanted ‘common deer’ to help him. I wonder if he even knows what he said - I mean, he’s not even running towards the forest!”

“Common deer…” Ringo put her hand to her chin and mumbled to herself before slamming her fist into her open palm. “Oh! He wanted to commandeer a ship, is that it?”

“Isn’t that what I said?”

“Not really,” she replied with a smile. “‘To commandeer’ means to borrow something with authority. It has nothing to do with deer at all!”

“That makes  _ so _ much more sense!” Amitie exclaimed. She turned towards the sea and put her hand across her forehead. “I feel kinda bad for throwing him that far, now. I just made Otomo’s life even more difficult,” she added with a sigh.

“Wait, you threw the prince into the _sea_?” Ringo asked, her hair standing on ends. 

__

“It’s a long story,” Amitie said as she turned back around. “I think it boils down to us playing hide and seek, though?”

__

“If  _ we _ ask to play a game with you, can you promise not to throw us into the ocean? ★” Maguro asked, taking a precautionary step back.

__

Amitie let out a giggle. “Ask away! I’m not gonna throw anyone else, today.”

__

“So, since I  _ finally _ put the books on here,” he started, pulling his phone out of his pocket, “we were wondering if you’d be interesting in playing T&D with us tomorrow. ★” He poked at the screen a few times before turning it around and showing Amitie the cover of a book with several different adventurers at the base of a tower.

__

“T&D?” Amitie repeated with a tilt of her head.

__

“It’s short for Towers and Demons! ★” He quickly pocketed his phone and started talking with his hands. “It’s a fantasy role-playing game that has a simultaneously structured, yet open-ended-”

__

“It’s fun!” Ringo said, putting her hand over his mouth. “You get to be a hero and go on cool adventures and stuff!”

__

“Don’t we already do that, though?” Amitie asked with a smile as she folded her arms.

__

“I guess so.” Ringo took her hand back and wiped it on her skirt. “Still, it’s nice to go on pretend adventures, sometimes. You get to play as totally different people, too! You can be things like a dashing rogue, a powerful magician, or a noble swordsman even!” Ringo stabbed her imaginary sword forward with a  _ ha-cha! _ towards Amitie.

__

“That does sound kind of fun! I mean, it would be nice to pretend I was  _ already _ a wonderful magician!”

__

“Then it’s settled!” Ringo said. “We can all play tomorrow!”

__

Amitie furrowed her brow. “D-Did you say ‘tomorrow?’”

__

“She’s totally gonna throw us… ★”

__

“I’m not gonna throw anyone!” Amitie said, throwing her hands to her sides. “But, does it really have to be  _ tomorrow_?”

__

Maguro and Ringo exchanged glances. “Kinda? ★ I mean, I finally have the books on me…”

__

“And we don’t know when we’ll be visiting Primp Town again…”

__

“Or if I’ll have my phone on me when we  _ do _ visit… ★”

__

“ _Or _ if it’ll even have enough charge!”

__

“Okay, okay! I get it!” Amitie waved her hands in front of them. “I really do want to play your game, but I’m not sure if I’ll have any time tomorrow!”

__

Before Ringo could respond, Maguro said, “That’s fine! ★ Try to let us know tomorrow if you’re free. Besides, it’s not that big of a deal - we don’t really have a place to play picked out yet.”

__

“I have a place in mind!” Ringo said, shooting her hand straight up. “Don’t you worry - I’m gonna pull some strings and get us into someplace  _ incredibly  _ cool.”

__

“Ringo,” Maguro said with a sigh as he folded his arms, “it is  _ incredibly _ worrying that you won’t tell me anything about this place you have in mind. ★”

__

“Oh, shooshy. Trust me, you guys! This is gonna be great!” Ringo flashed a huge smile.

__

“I’m sure it’ll be fun,” Amitie replied with a smile of her own. “I’ll see what I can do.”

__

“Oh, no!” Maguro exclaimed as he looked at his watch. “Ringo, don’t we still have to-”

__

“Oh my gosh, you’re right! Sorry, Amitie, we’ve got somewhere we’re supposed to be right now!” Ringo grabbed Maguro’s hand and started running down the path towards the flower fields, calling “We’ll see you tomorrow, okay!” as she looked back and waved.

__

Amitie returned the wave before dropping her hand and fiddling with her bangle. She took a deep breath and started walked back towards town.  _ I have to get home_, she thought, walking a little faster,  _ before anyone  _ else _ tries to make plans with me! _

__

 

__

Still clutching her bangle, rubbing her thumb over the smooth plastic, Amitie made her way through the town towards home. Her head hung low, her brow sat furrowed and tense as she tried to sort through her agenda.

__

_ Let’s see… _ she thought, weaving through the thinning crowds.  _ Raffina’s first. “Bright and early!” she said, so she’s definitely first on the list. Next was Lidelle, who wanted to… play with Carbuncle? Right, they wanted to play hide and seek together at the school, that’s fine. I guess that’ll go until lunchtime when Ringo comes over. She likes weird, healthy foods, so maybe I should buy some ‘normal’ ingredients in town. Wait, no,  _ Arle _ said she was buying the ingredients - was it the three of us cooking tomorrow? No, I think Ringo and Maguro wanted me to model some outfits for them - I didn’t realize either of them could sew! And, then, there’s Ocean Prince, who wants to go chase some deer. Or was it rabbits? And, Oshare Bones wanted… to play T &D? Get real - that doesn’t sound right at all! _

__

Balling her fists at her sides, Amitie broke into a sprint, zigging and zagging through the crowds without a second thought, running down her street and throwing the door open. She barreled into the living room, slammed the door, tossed her bag onto the floor and slumped to the ground, leaning her back against the door. She pulled the sides of her hat down over her ears and hunched over, squeezing her eyes shut. Her brain buzzed and her head felt heavy - her body shook against the door as she tried to take deep breaths, tears burning like pin-pricks behind her eyelids. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them, pulling them closer with every breath.  _ Breathe_, she pleaded with herself, her head nearly bursting from her chest.  _ Just breathe_.

__

A sharp  _ knock! _ sounded from behind the door, making Amitie scramble forward and jump up. “C-Coming!” she called, brushing herself of and slapping her hands against her cheeks. She took another breath before taking a step back and opening the door. “Oh! It’s Sig!” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “What’s up?”

__

Sig stood still for a moment and tilted his head. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

__

“What? I’m fine, I’m fine!” she said, rubbing her eyes. “See? Totally fine. Do you want to come in?”

__

Sig nodded and stepped inside, turning around and waiting for her to close the door before saying, “Tomorrow, do you-”

__

“Don’t say it!” she cried, backing into the corner and clutching at her bangle. “ _Please _ don’t say you want to do something tomorrow because, even though I like hanging out with you and I’m sure it’d be super fun, I’m just gonna end up forgetting about it or getting it all mixed up and then I won’t be able to do it and you’re gonna get super mad at me and hate me forever!”

__

“What? ‘Hate you forever?’”

__

“Sure,” she said, pulling her hat down and pacing in circles, totally oblivious to the tears streaming down her face, “you and  _ everybody else _ who wants to hang out with me tomorrow! It’s just too much!” She threw her hands into the air and leaned her back against the wall. “I just  _ know _ I’m gonna let everyone down and they’re all going to be mad and disappointed in me! Then, I’m gonna have to move to a different town and make new friends and then I’m just gonna disappoint all of  _ them_, too! I’m gonna end up living in the forest with all of the frogs!” She ran forward with a shriek and clutched Sig’s shoulders, shaking him back and forth. “Did Ribbitie ask me to do something earlier? I can’t even remember - he’s gonna hate me, too! I won’t even be able to live in the forest!” She released her grip on her shoulders and covered her face, muffling her sobs with her hands.

__

Sig stood motionless, blinking a few times as he tried to wrap his head around everything. “Amitie?”

__

“I’m sorry, Sig,” she said as she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You should probably go home - I’m not gonna be any fun right now.” She walked through the living room, mumbling, “I’ve got to figure this out or start packing…”

__

“Wait,” he called, stepping forward and putting his hand on her shoulder. As she turned towards him, he said, “Try to calm down. Explain everything, okay? Please?”

__

Amitie stared at him, trying to read his face, before dropping her head. “Okay,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “Okay.”

__

Sig took her hand, lead her to the table and sat down next to her. He rummaged through his messenger bag and pulled out a blue handkerchief. As she took it with a wordless smile, he asked, “What happened?”

__

“Well,” she started, dabbing her eyes with the kerchief, “everywhere I went today, I ran into somebody who wanted to make plans or needed favors. It started with Raffina and then  _ exploded _ into, like, almost everyone I know! It’s just...”

__

“Too much?”

__

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Too much and all at once. The more things I had to think about, the more jumbled and confused I got. I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m going to mess something up and everyone’s gonna hate me if I can’t be there for them tomorrow.”

__

Sig looked forward and hummed, closing his eyes. “Amitie, do you hate someone if they can’t help you?”

__

“What? No way!”

__

“How come?”

__

“Well, because!” Amitie furrowed her brow. “Everyone’s got their own stuff going on - I can’t just get mad because they can’t do something for me! I mean, sure, I might be a little upset, but I couldn’t just  _ hate _ someone like that!”

__

“Aren’t your friends the same way?” He turned his head towards her and watched her wince. “Wuffina, Lidelle, Klug - everyone loves you. They’re not gonna hate you if you can’t be with them tomorrow.”

__

Wringing the kerchief in her hands, Amitie chuckled despite herself. “You know, I think Klug was one of the few people who  _ didn’t  _ make any plans with me. And it’s  _ Raffina, _ remember?”

__

“Oh. Oops.”

__

“Thank you,” she said, wiping her eyes again. “I guess I should have more faith in everyone, huh? But, still, I don’t want to let anyone down! There’s got to be a way I can keep track of who to meet when and where!”

__

Sig turned and rummaged into his bag again. He pulled out a notebook and pencil, opened the notebook and set it on the table. "Try to start at the beginning.”

__

Amitie stared wide-eyed at the notebook, then the pencil, then at Sig before covering her mouth and breaking into a fit of giggles. “Sorry, sorry!” she choked out between laughs. “It’s just - that’s really simple, isn’t it? Why didn’t I think of that? I’m such a dummy!”

__

“You’re not dumb. Sometimes it’s helpful to see everything written out,” he said with a smile.

__

“I bet! Sig, you’re so organized, aren’t you?” With a final chuckle, she folded her arms and tried to recount her day. “Raffina is  _ definitely _ first - she wants to meet at the school ‘bright and early,’ so, I guess for her, that’s around…”

__

 

__

Sig set the pencil down and stretched out his hand. “Raffina, Lidelle, Oshare Bones, Arle and Carbuncle, Ocean Prince and Ringo and Maguro. That’s a lot of people to meet up with.”

__

“Yeah,” Amitie said, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder as she read through the schedule again. “But, I think this is everyone!”

__

“You sure?”

__

“I think so.” She closed her eyes and hummed, trying to run through her day again. “I can’t remember if I  _ actually  _ talked to Ribittie or if I just made that one up.”

__

“Pretty sure you made that one up.” Sig held up the list and looked over it again. “You sure you talked to Oshare Bones?”

__

“Yeah!” Amitie sat upright and held her arms out to her sides. “He took my measurements out in the street - it was weird! So, I know I  _ definitely _ didn’t make that up!” 

__

With a smile, Sig carefully started tearing the page at the perforated edges. “Should make another copy,” he said, setting the paper down and grabbing his pencil. “Just in case you lose it.”

__

Amitie opened her mouth to protest and then slumped over. “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” she mumbled, folding her arms in her lap.

__

“Someone should go with you and keep you on track tomorrow,” he added as he started copying the schedule.

__

“Are you volunteering?” she asked with a smile. “I could probably use the help!”

__

“Yeah. Is that okay?”

__

“Yeah, if you want to!” Amitie watched as Sig closed his notebook and put his things back in his bag. “Oh, wait, before I forget!” She stood up and put her hand in her pocket. “Here, you can use this,” she said, handing him her yellow handkerchief, “until I can give yours back to you.” As he stood up and took the kerchief from her, she added, “And, also, thank you so much, Sig! I really don’t know what I would have done without you.”

__

“No problem,” he said, giving her another smile. “Glad to help out.” The two walked over to the doorway and Sig waved as he started walking back down the path. “Bye.”

__

“Bye!” Amitie called, returning his wave. “See you tomorrow!” She closed the door and let out a sigh of relief.  _ Okay_, she thought as she walked towards the table and picked up the schedule.  _ I can do this. I can totally do this! _ She took another long look at the list of names and activities and snickered as one caught her eye. “Oh, Sig!” she said aloud with a laugh. “You spelled Raffina’s name wrong…”

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I somehow deleted the original author's note, but I'm sure it was something like "hey why did I introduce a million new characters? go ahead and leave comments, questions and criticisms!"


	2. Chapter 2

Amitie’s head lolled as she dragged herself towards the school, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She trudged through the grass, some covered in frost and some coated in dew, and held her arms close to her chest, rubbing them for warmth as she wondered,  _ Why is it still so  _ cold _ in the morning? It’s spring, isn’t it? _ She picked her head up and stopped as she spotted Raffina’s bright pink hair, pulled into a bun at the top of her head, from across the field. Amitie waved as she ran over. “Raffina! Were you waiting long?”

“Yes, actually!” she scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t you know it’s  _ rude _ to keep a lady waiting?”

“Sorry, Raf!” Amitie stood across from her and sheepishly scratched the back of her head. “I figured this would have been early enough!”

“You really should have known that I meant just after sunrise!”

With a yawn, she closed her eyes. “I think the only time I’ll ever be awake to see a sunrise is if I lived on the sun...”

“Now, now, don’t be like that,” Raffina said as she adjusted her hair clip. “You know what they say: Early to bed, early to rise makes a woman healthy, wealthy, and wise!”

Amitie let out a laugh and flexed her arms. “At least I’ve got the healthy part going for me!”

“How charming.” Raffina rolled her eyes as she zipped open her pouch and pulled out a stopwatch. “Now, I wasn’t able to get access to the school’s equipment,” she started, handing Amitie the watch and gesturing behind her, “so, I had to make due with some  _ interesting _ Puyo arrangements.”

Amitie poked her head up and stifled a giggle at the sight. She saw several strange piles of Puyos, some arranged into hurdles or tire rings and still others stacked high enough to resemble a climbing wall. “Oh!” She pointed forward. “I  _ knew _ it was too cold out - some of those Puyos look like they’re frozen!”

Raffina held her hand to her face and laughed. “Don’t worry,” she said, holding her arms out and starting to stretch her shoulders. “Once we run the course a few times, we’ll be plenty warmed up.”

“Wait, hold on. Once  _ we _ start? Am I training, too?”

“Naturally!” she exclaimed as she moved from her upper body to stretching her legs. “I want to compare my progress against someone with a more… how should I say this? A more  _ unrefined _ baseline.”

“So, you want to beat me in a race, huh?” Amitie grumbled with a slump of her shoulders.

“Is that so wrong?” she asked, standing upright and raising her hand and to laugh again. “We have to take turns, anyway, since I need to record our times.”

“Well, we can’t start just yet,” Amitie said. She picked herself up and turned around, squinting against the sunlight and scanning down the pathway. “We still have to wait at least a few more minutes!”

“Wait? For-” Raffina stopped, letting a hiss of air pass through her teeth. “For  _ whom_?" 

“Oh! There he is!” Amitie exclaimed as she pointed to a head of cyan hair in the distance. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said, turning back towards Raffina, “but I invited Sig along! I  _ may _ have made too many plans for today, but Sig helped me figure them all out! Plus, he offered to tag along to ‘keep me on track,’” she added, closing her eyes halfway and mimicking his dull monotone before flashing Raffina a smile. She watched as Raffina folded her arms with a smirk, closed her eyes and dropped her mouth to a frown, then looked out across the field. “You’re making a lot of faces, Raf,” Amitie said, stifling a laugh. “Lost in thought?”

Raffina squared out her shoulders and put her hands on her hips. “Well, it’s going to take him forever to get over here, isn’t it? Come on!” She snatched Amitie’s hand and started dragging her towards the start of the course. “Let’s just get a practice run of the course together while we wait.”

 

Raffina stepped through the makeshift goalposts and spun on her heels. “You think you’ve got the hang of it?”

Amitie plodded forward and said, “I think so. You definitely won’t have to worry about me beating your time, though!” with a breathless laugh.

“I couldn’t  _ imagine _ losing to you!” Raffina closed her eyes with a smile as she covered her mouth with her hand and let out a laugh. When she reopened them, she brought her hand to her hip. “About time you made it here, Sig!”

“Wu-” Sit started before closing his eyes and frowning.  _"Raffina._ And Amitie. Good morning.”

“Hiya, Sig! You brought the backup, right?” Amitie asked as the two girls walked over.

Raffina loomed over his shoulder as he wordlessly retrieved his notebook and opened it to the copied schedule. “Amitie,” she said, clicking her tongue, “this is an  _ awfully _ busy schedule, don’t you think? You should really learn how to say ‘no’ sometime.” As she watched Amitie try to stammer out a reply, she sighed with a roll of her eyes. “In any case, give me the stopwatch back. I’ll record your time, first.”

“What? Get real!” Amitie exclaimed, taking a step back. “I’m still tuckered out from the practice run!”

“The course will be fresh in your mind if you run it now,” she replied. Raffina folded her arms and narrowed her eyes before extending her hand out. “Stopwatch. Please.”

Sig looked at Raffina and back at Amitie, who sputtered for a few seconds before slumping her shoulders and reached into her pocket. “Amitie,” he said as she took out the watch, “Raffina wants you to tell her ‘no.’”

“Huh?”

“Just a hunch,” he added with a shrug.

Amitie took another look at Raffina before squaring out her shoulders and putting her hands on her hips. “Raffina,” she said, furrowing her brow, “I don’t want to run the course first. So, no! You should let me time you first.” Starting at her square in the eyes, Amitie relaxed her shoulders and shrugged them slightly. “Please?”

Raffina pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a hum. “You lost a little steam at the end, there,” she said, taking her hand down with a smirk, “but I suppose that will have to do. Amitie, you’re in charge of the watch - make sure to be as precise as possible! Sig, if you’re here, you have to help. Make sure to record everything in your notebook.” After they both nodded in agreement, she jogged over to the start of the course. “Amitie, if you would, give me a countdown!”

“You got it!” she called, readying the stopwatch in her hand. “Alrighty, Raf - ready? Steady?  _ Go! _ ”

 

Raffina rushed past the goal and skidded to a stop, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “Not worth the trouble!” She planted her hands on her hips as she walked over to Amitie and Sig, taking deep, slow breaths all the while. “So, how was it?”

Amitie brought the stopwatch close to her face, trying to focus on where the needles pointed. “It looks like… 5 minutes and 3 seconds! What a wicked run, Raffina!”

“I must have been slacking off in my training,” she muttered, scoffing as she folded her arms and furrowed her brow. “I’m almost  _ certain _ I was able to run this under 5 minutes before…”

“Puyo penalty, maybe?” Sig asked, picking his pencil up from the page and pointing it at the course in front of him.

The girls turned around and took another look at the course, Amitie giggling as some of the Puyos started to wriggle their way out from their piles. Raffina stood upright and put her hands back to her hips. “I suppose that could have had something to do with it. However, a lady should never make excuses!” she added, lifting her chin in the air. She held her hand out towards Amitie. “Stopwatch, please! I believe it’s  _ your _ turn, Amitie.”

“Do I  _ really _ have to?” Amitie slumped her shoulders and reluctantly handed her the watch. “I mean, there’s no way I’m gonna beat your time.”

“It’s really not about trying to beat me,” she replied as she cleared the watch. “It’s more about training your body and mind to become more powerful!”

“Pretty sure that’s not what you said earlier…”

Raffina sighed. “If you’re that embarrassed about it, we could just always have Sig go after you.”

“Pass,” Sig said, turning around and starting to walk towards the other side of the school.

“Sig, she was kidding! I think!” Amitie called as Raffina grabbed him by the shoulder and walked him back. Amitie walked over to the start of the course, bouncing on the balls of her feet to motivate herself. “Wish me luck, guys!”

“Woo. Go Amitie.”

“Sig, that hardly seems fair. You didn’t cheer for me!”

“Woo. Go Raffina.”

Raffina brought her hand to her head and sighed. “I suppose it’s the thought that counts. Alright, Amitie!” she called. “On your mark! Get set!  _ Go! _ ”

 

Amitie trudged to the end of the obstacle course, her legs wobbling beneath her before sending her crashing face-first into the ground. “How…” she started, turning onto her back and breathing heavily. “How was that?”

Raffina clicked her tongue. “You  _ probably _ don’t want to know,” she said, handing Sig the stopwatch. She walked over to Amitie and offered her hand.

“Come on!” she whined, taking Raffina’s hand and standing upright, her legs still a little uneasy. “I can take it! Tell me!”

Sig put his pencil in the notebook’s spiral and cleared the stopwatch. “2 hours, 17 minutes and 38 seconds.”

“Get real!” Amitie shouted. She brought her hand to her forehead and held the other out as her legs wobbled beneath her. “That’s not even close!”

Raffina put her hands on Amitie’s shoulders. “Remember, Amitie - just focus on your breathing. Breathe.”

“Just breathe,” she murmured, closing her eyes and taking one deep breath after another.

“Try not to worry about it,” Raffina added as she took a step back and fixed her bangs. “I mean, you did your best! Why, I believe when I started this training regimen, I had a time similar to yours!”

_ That’s not nearly as encouraging as you think it is, _ she thought as she opened her eyes and pouted. “You both  _ seriously  _ aren’t going to tell me?” 

“Nope,” Sig replied as he folded a page from his notebook and handed it to Raffina.

“Thanks, Sig” Raffina plucked it from his hands and secreted it and the stopwatch into her pouch. “These times will be very useful to me. And, thanks for coming, Amitie.”

“Huh?” Amitie tilted her head. “Are we done already?”

“Well, did you want to give it another run?” she asked, leaning forward with her hands on her hips.

“No way!” Amitie put up her hands and shook her head. “I’m good, thanks! I could time you again, though,” she said with a yawn. “Or, maybe I should just go take a nap…”

Raffina brought her hand to her mouth and laughed. “Don’t you have some other engagements today? Is now  _ really _ the time for a nap?”

“Come on, Amitie,” Sig said, taking Amitie by the shoulders and pushing her along. “Bye, Raffina.”

As the two walked far enough away, Raffina called out, “You  _ really _ want to know your time? It was 14 minutes and 47 seconds!”

" _What? Get_ really  _ real!_” Amitie shouted, scaring some of the birds perched on nearby trees away from their nests. “ _That’s _ so _ bad! _ ”

Raffina took the piece of paper from her pocket and chuckled to herself as she unfolded it and took a look at the times written down. “I  _ told _ her she didn’t want to know! Oh, la~ti~da!”

 

Amitie and Sig made their way over to the small enclosure at the side of the school, helping each other over the knee-high fence before approaching the small rabbit hutch. Their heads tilted in unison as they spotted Lidelle poking out from behind it, a rake held in her sleeved hands.

“H-Hi, Amitie! Hi, Sig!” Lidelle stepped around the hutch and leaned the rake against the wall as she bent down to open the small door at the base of the hutch. “Come on out, everyone!”

Slowly, one by one, three small rabbits crawled their way out of the hutch and out into the enclosure. The rabbit with the black coat sniffed a path around the fence line before stopping to nibble on a patch of clover. The other two, one in all white fur and the other covered in tan spots, started running and hopping around the area.

“They’re so cute!” Amitie held her hands to her face and cooed as she turned to them run about. “What were their names again? I think I was absent when we voted on them,” she added, sheepishly scratching the back of her head.

“The white one is Snowball,” Lidelle said as she picked up the rake and walked to the front of the hutch, “and the spotty one is Patches. The black rabbit’s named-”

“Cocoa,” Sig finished as he sat down next to the munching rabbit and started scratching one of his ears.

Amitie took her hands from her face, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “So, what are you doing, Lidelle?” she asked, walked towards the hutch.

“Oh! I’m cleaning out the hay that’s inside right now. When I’m done, I’m gonna put fresh hay in,” Lidelle explained as she started to rake the inside of the hutch.

“I can help with that!” Amitie offered. “Is there another rake?” She stepped to the side of the hutch and started looking around.

“Oh, no, Amitie, that’s okay!” Lidelle leaned back to look over. “Y-You don’t have to worry about that! You’d get all dirty.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I don’t mind!”

“You gotta help Oshare Bones after this,” Sig called from the edge of the fence, still absentmindedly petting Cocoa. “He’s gonna be really mad if you’re all gross.”

Lidelle turned around and tilted her head as Amitie slumped her shoulders. “You’re visiting Oshare Bones later?” she asked, leaning against the rake.

“Yeah, I gotta help him with some modeling project - it’s kinda a long story,” she added as she picked herself up with a sigh. She folded her arms and looked around the enclosure, watching with glee as Snowball and Patches ran and jumped around, their long, droopy ears flopped around lazily. She looked to the fence line and quickly brought her hands to her mouth to stifle a laugh as she spotted the two rabbit-like tufts of hair on Sig’s head fluttering in the breeze.

“Amitie?” Lidelle picked her head up from the rake. “Are you alright?”

Amitie spun on her heels and stifled another laugh. “Yeah! Of course!” she said, her eyes darting up and around, desperately trying not to stare at Lidelle’s horns or ears. “It’s just…” she started, humming as she thought up an excuse. “Oh! Well, I know we’re just here to keep you company, but is there anything I can do to help?”

Lidelle smiled and pointed to the other side of the hutch. “There are some boxes over there - the smaller one on the left has some toys you can use to play with the rabbits! They really like playing fetch.”

“Get real - really? That sounds cool!” Amitie dropped her hands to her sides and skipped over to the stack of boxes. “Let’s see… What should I grab out of here?”

 

“Hey, Lidelle?” Amitie called from her spot in the center of the enclosure as she leaned back and tossed a small toy. “I don’t think Snowball’s very good at fetch.”

“That doesn’t sound right.” Lidelle brushed the lingering pieces of fresh hay off of her sleeves and walked over to Amitie, leaning over her slightly. “Can you show me, maybe?”

“Sure thing!” she replied, grabbing another toy from behind her and giving it a light throw. Snowball watched it sail into the air and land before flopping down next to her. “See? He’s not chasing it at all,” she explained, giving his head a tousle. “Maybe I should take out another toy or two?”

Lidelle looked around the enclosure, absolutely littered with different toys, and giggled as she bent down and grabbed a toy. “Rabbits don’t do the fetching - they do the throwing.” Lidelle walked over to Patches and waved the toy gently in front of his face before setting it down in front of him. He sniffed at it for a moment before taking it into his teeth and throwing it into the air. “Do you see?” Lidelle asked, turning back towards Amitie.

“Whoa! That was wicked!” Amitie jumped up and grabbed the first toy she threw. “Sig, did you see that?” She turned around and spotted Sig sitting in the same spot by the fence and snoring, eyes half-lidded and hand still rested on Cocoa, who had curled up next to his leg and joined him for a mid-morning nap.

Lidelle hummed as she retrieved the toy Patches threw. “W-We should do something. He shouldn’t be sleeping - he should be up and playing with the rest of us.”

“Do you mean Cocoa or Sig?” Amitie asked, stifling a laugh.

As Lidelle opened her mouth to respond, the two girls heard a voice call out from behind them. “Amitie!” Arle called as she walked up to the fenceline and waved. “Have you seen Sig anywhere today? I kinda need to talk to him.”

“Ooh! It’s a super rare Arle-without-Carbuncle!” Amitie brushed the grass off of herself and took a step backwards. “He’s over here taking a nap,” she said, gesturing towards the other fence. “You can probably just wake him up, though.”

Arle chuckled the perimeter of the fence before leaning over and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Sig?” she called, giving him a gentle nudge. “Sig! Wake up!”

Sig shook himself awake and turned his head up towards her. “Hi, Arle,” he said groggily. He blinked before tilting his head to the side. “Aren’t you here too early?”

“Oh, it’s not for that,” she replied, shaking her head. “I need to talk to you about something. You got a minute?”

Sig looked back towards Amitie and Lidelle and stood up as they both waved him off with a smile. Wordlessly, he took Arle’s hand and stepped over the fence, pulling his notebook out of his bag as the two started walking away.

“Hey, Lidelle?” Amitie asked as the two started talking out of earshot. “Did any of that sound weird to you?”

Lidelle set another toy down in front of Patches before tilting her head.”W-What do you mean?”

Amitie hummed as she folded her arms. “He asked if she was ‘here too early’ and she just kinda brushed him off. Something about that doesn’t sound right to me,” she added, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow. 

“I guess I d-don’t understand,” Lidelle stammered as she covered her face with her sleeves. “I-Is Arle meeting with you later, t-too?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“C-Couldn’t she have j-just assumed that he’d come with you?”

“Why, though?” Amitie asked, putting her hands on her hips. “I mean, we do stuff together  _ all  _ the time, so why would she assume he’d be with me this time? Like,  _ I _ didn’t know he’d be coming along, so-” she stopped as she felt the thud of a toy smacking against her knee. She looked down at Snowball running circles around her feet and slumped her shoulders with a sigh. “Sorry, sorry!” she said with a giggle as she bent down and scratched his ears. “I forgot, it’s still playtime.”

 

“There - that should be the last of them!” Amitie said as she dropped an armful of toys back into the box by the hutch. “Did I miss any?”

Lidelle took another look around the enclosure and shook her head. “I think we’re good. Thanks again for helping me, Amitie!”

“Oh, don’t mention it!” Amitie closed the lid of the box with a  _ thunk! _ and walked back into the center of the enclosure, slumping her shoulders as she spotted Arle and Sig chatting in the distance. “Man, they’re  _ still _ talking over there?” She hummed to herself for a moment before slamming her fist into the palm of her other hand and turning towards Lidelle. “We should totally sneak over there and see what they’re saying!”

“H-Huh?” Lidelle covered her face with her sleeves and took a step back, dropping her eyes and looking around the enclosure. “B-But… W-Well…”

“It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine! It’ll just take a second - the bunnies won’t even know we’re gone!” Amitie grinned and grabbed Lidelle’s hand. “Come on!” she said, nearly throwing Lidelle over before hopping over it herself. She crouched down low and held a finger in front of her mouth, letting out a short  _ shh! _ before leading the way with short, swift steps towards Arle and Sig. Their steps grew smaller and smaller as they approached until Amitie could finally make out some of the conversation.

“Okay, that should work, then,” Arle said as she put her hands on her hips. “So, Amitie, I guess I’ll be seeing the two of you later?” she added, turning towards her with a grin.

“Aww, what? Get real!” Amitie groaned as she stood upright and let go of Lidelle’s hand. “How did you know we were here?”

Arle folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. “You know I spent a lot of time exploring old dungeons and caves, right? Filled to the brim with creepy crawlies just _dying_ to pounce at any moment? Yeah, it takes a  _ lot _ of effort to get the drop on me!”

“I-I hope we weren’t interrupting anything!” Lidelle said as Amitie drooped forward with a sigh.

“We were just about done, anyway. It’s a good thing, too,” Arle added, swinging her arms around Amitie’s and Sig’s shoulders, “because I believe you two have somewhere you need to be right now!”

“Lidelle, do you need any more help?” Sig asked.

“Oh, no, you guys can go on ahead,” Lidelle replied with a smile. “I’m gonna stay just a little longer, though. Cocoa slept for most of the time, so I want to make sure he does something active before I let him back inside the hutch.”

“Alrighty then!” Amitie exclaimed. “Oh, wait! Arle, before I forget - if you want, you can just drop all the stuff off at my house if we’re running late, okay?” Seeing her nod, Amitie grabbed Sig’s hand and the pair started heading towards the town. “See you later!”

Arle and Lidelle waved as the two walked out of sight. “So,” Arle said, turning to Lidelle, “you guys didn’t hear anything, right?”

Lidelle shook her head. “You’re fine. Can you help me get the rabbits back inside before we go?”

“Sure thing!”

 

Amitie and Sig slipped through the crowded streets and stepped into Oshare Bones’ store. Amitie looked around at the empty shop and called out, “Hello? Oshare Bones? It’s me, Amitie!” As the two walked further inside, she added, “I’m here to help you with the modeling thing?” Behind them, she could hear the  _ swoosh! _ of a signboard flipping over and the  _ click! _ of a door locking. “Sig, why do I get the feeling we just walked into something really scary?”

“Amitie, why do  _ I _ get the feeling you two just walked  _ out _ of something really smelly?” Oshare Bones said as he appeared with a flourish of his cape out from behind them. “You two smell like you’ve just left a barnyard! Ugh - I can’t  _ stand _ it!” he added, making a show of pinching the air in front of his nasal cavity.

“Sorry! I was training with Raffina earlier and I just got done helping Lidelle with the rabbits at the school,” Amitie explained.

“Can you even smell?” Sig asked.

Oshare Bones sighed. “I can smell well enough to  _ ask _ about it, dear boy! Whatever.” He scoffed as he clapped his hands together before pulling them apart with a shower of sparkles. He shook his hands out in front of them before pointing his fingers towards Amitie and Sig with a snap. “ _ Talk to the hand! _ ” he cried, a cascade of glitter pouring out of his fingertips and onto them.

As the glitter fell to the floor, Amitie felt her skin get softer and felt the sweat and grime disappear. “Wow! That’s amazing! It smells like…” she paused, taking a whiff of the air around her.

“Lemons?” Sig offered as he swatted some of the glitter out of his hair.

“I also do vanilla, lavender, apple-cinnamon, and peppermint,” Oshare Bones said with a grin and a tilt of his top hat. “I had to change the gesture for that spell a while back, though. You know, it used to be this?” he asked, turning his head and putting his palm forward with a flourish. “Well, I’d be in the middle of just  _ ruining _ someone in an argument and then  _ whoopsie! _ I’d accidentally clean them up! How utterly  _ embarrassing _ , don’t you think?” He watched as Amitie giggled and Sig shrugged his shoulders in response. “Anyway,” he said as he walked towards Amitie and started pushing her towards the dressing room, “we’ve got a  _ lot _ to do, so let’s get started! Sig,” he called, turning his head completely around on his neck, “you can just sit on the ottoman there. Unless - did you want to try on some new clothes today, too?”

“Nope,” he replied. “Just helping Amitie today.”

“Ah, how gracious of you, young man!” Oshare Bones said with a sigh before spinning his head back around. “Alright, Amitie - let’s start with the gown on the far left!”

 

“Are you sure you measured this right?” Amitie asked as she stepped out of the dressing room, nearly tripping on the skirt of the pink, poofy gown. “It’s a little long, don’t you think?” 

“Nothing a pair of heels can’t fix, dear,” Oshare Bones replied, stepping forward and offering her a hand. He walked her towards a raised platform surrounded by mirrors. “Oh, and it’s an off shoulder design,” he added, taking the sleeves and pulling them down her shoulders. He took a step back and put his hand to his chin. “Talk to me, Amitie - what are you thinking?”

Amitie picked up her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. “I think Raffina would look better in this color than I do,” she said as she fiddled with the sleeves. “If it was my dress, I think I’d like it in a lighter color. Maybe a blue or a yellow?”

“Oh, the color is no problem,” he said, snapping his fingers a few times. With each  _ snap! _ the gown changed colors - a baby blue, a neon orange, an off-white, a wine red - until he turned it back to its original shade. He held his finger in the air and twirled it around. “Spin for me, darling. How’s the skirt? There’s a lot of tulle down there to give it that bounce.”

Amitie spun in place and swung her arms side to side to push the skirt. “It’s kinda heavy for a spring dress, don’t you think? I bet it’d get really warm really quickly.”

“You’ve got a point there,” he said before muttering to himself and pacing around the platform. He stopped and turned his head slightly. “Sig, honey, what do you think so far?”

Sig hummed as he sat cross-legged on the ottoman. “It looks good,” he replied with a thumbs up.

“Young man, there is a  _ radiant _ woman standing in front of you in an  _ absolutely exquisite  _ gown! Can’t you say anything better than ‘good?’”

“Looks… pretty?”

Oshare Bones sighed, his eyes rolling around in their sockets as he turned his head back and brought his hand up to his forehead. “Is it tight anywhere? Loose?” he stepped forward and started tugging at the hem of the skirt.

Amitie shook her head. “It fits fine! Like I said, though, it’s a little long.”

“Well, if we’re not going for heels, I suppose I could just take a few inches off the bottom…” Oshare Bones took another step back and hummed for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Next outfit!”

 

"I'm not really loving the beading on the bodice here... Next!" 

 

"So, you're _rocking_ the hi-low skirt, but I think this would look better with a different pattern. Next!" 

 

"I can try to move the zipper to the side and make it smaller - that should look just fine. Next!" 

 

“Oh no,” Oshare Bones muttered, his hands on his hips. “How did that even get back there? No, no, this won’t do.” He walked forward and started pushing Amitie back into the dressing room. “Next outfit!”

“What? Get real - it took me, like, 5 minutes just to figure out how to wear this thing!”

“I know, and it’s such a tragedy - that was one of my more ambitious pieces, you see. Well, sometimes creativity doesn’t pay off, now, does it? Next!”

 

“I don’t ever want to wear another dress ever again,” Amitie groaned as she stepped out of the dressing room. She trudged over to the platform and spun around a few times, showing off her yellow camisole, black blazer and matching black slacks.

“Fashion isn’t easy, sunshine!” Oshare Bones exclaimed as he adjusted her sleeves. “Now, this is the more  _ casual _ side of formalwear, sure, but I still think it brings along an air of authority and pomp. What do you think?”

Amitie put her hands on her hips and looked in the mirrors. “Well, I definitely like it better than the dresses.” She held her arms out to her sides. “I think the sleeves might be a little tight? It could just be me, though - I don’t really like long sleeves.”

“Well, I guess there’s no accounting for taste,” he said with a sigh. “The sleeves, though, we can fix that,” he added, walking to the end of the store and rummaging through the vests on the wall. “Go ahead and take off the blazer!”

“W-Wait! What about your client?” Amitie asked as she jumped off the platform. “What if she likes the long sleeves?”

“Oh, honey, there’s not  _ really _ a client. That was just a little fib!” he replied with a shrug. He walked back over with one of the vests and held it out to her. “Try this on, instead.”

“What?” Sig set down his notebook and looked up for the first time in over a dozen outfits.

“Get really real!  _ What?! _ ”

“I’m being  _ totally _ real, Amitie!” Oshare Bones lifted her back onto the platform and pushed the vest into her hands. “I wanted to update your wardrobe and plan for a new line so I thought, ‘Why not kill two birds with one stone?’ you know?” He stepped forward and started undoing the buttons on the blazer.

“There wasn’t a client?” Amitie repeated, dumbfoundedly going the motions of slipping off the jacket and putting the vest on. “So, those clothes are for me? Why?”

“Well, they’re not  _ all _ yours,” Oshare Bones said with a laugh as he buttoned the vest up and took a step back. “I’ll have to make some alterations based on what we’ve talked about already to fix up your favorites. But,  _ really _ , you can’t think of a reason you deserve some new, fashionable clothes?”

Amitie knitted her brows as she straightened out the vest and turned around. “I really don’t get it,” she said as Sig stood up and slipped Oshare Bones a folded piece of paper. “I mean, I’m just a really ordinary girl, aren’t I?”

“Sweetheart, if girls like  _ you _ were considered ‘ordinary,’ I’d consider dating a woman for the first time in  _ centuries _ ,” he said flatly, quickly folding the note and slipping it into his suit pocket. He took a step back and folded his arms. “I think we could really pull this outfit together with a different kind of hat, wouldn’t you say?”

“What? No way!” Amitie spun on her heels and pulled the edges of her hat down over her ears. “I’ve always worn this one!”

“Is it really the same one?” Oshare Bones tilted his head and leaned forward. “I could have  _ sworn _ you had a different one - I remember absolutely  _ detesting _ the old hat you wore.”

“It used to be bigger,” Sig added, holding his arms in a circle above his head.

“I think you’re right!” Amitie took her hands from her hand and folded her arms. “It used to be kinda silly looking, right? All big and round,” she added with a laugh as her head started to feel heavy. “Didn’t it used to have little wings on it, too?”

“Yes, it looked remarkably similar to  _ that _ , now, didn’t it?” Oshare Bones pointed to one of the mirrors behind her. “It’s all coming back to me - I  _ still _ don’t like that hat!”

Amitie turned around and nearly stumbled off of the platform as she saw her ‘old’ hat sitting atop her head. “Whoa, wicked! How did I  _ do _ that?”

“It’s probably attuned to you, darling!”

“A tune?” Amitie tilted her head, nearly toppling over with the weight of her hat. “I wasn’t singing, as I?”

Oshare Bones clapped his hands together and held them in front of his face as Sig offered, “You changed it with your magic.”

“Or the hat itself is magic!” Oshare Bones ran to one of the hat racks along the wall and grabbed a paperboy cap from it. “Here,” he said as he walked back and held it out towards her, “try to focus on making your hat look like this!” 

Amitie pressed her hands to her cheeks and scrunched her face as she focused on the shape of the hat in front of her. She closed her eyes, letting out a low hum as she tried to recreate the hat in her mind’s eye, her head feeling lighter as she focused.

“It’s actually changing,” Sig remarked.

“What a devilishly  _ delightful _ power!” Oshare Bones shouted, setting his hat down on the platform.

Amitie opened her eyes and looked back towards the mirror, gasping as she noticed the red paperboy cap sitting on her head. “Look! It’s even got little wings on the side!” she exclaimed, fiddling with the small embellishments. “Oh man, I’ve got hat magic!” she exclaimed, jumping off of the platform and making a run towards the front of the shop. “Oshare Bones, what other kinds of hats do you have?”

“Easy, easy now, Amitie!” Oshare Bones stepped in front of her and started pushing her towards the dressing rooms. “You can play with your newfound power later - we’ve got a few more outfits to finish trying on, first!”

 

“Oh, how dreadful!” Oshare Bones cried, pointing at Amitie’s attire. “How did I let something like  _ that  _ make its way into my dressing room?”

Amitie looked down at her outfit and frowned. “Now, I  _ know _ you aren’t saying that my clothes are uncool again, right?” she asked, leaning forward with her hands on her hips.

“Perish the thought!” Oshare Bones flipped the sign in the window back to ‘open’ and unlocked the door before clapping his hands together and turning back towards Amitie and Sig. “Now, you two take care now! Amitie, I’ll have the final alterations done up for you and boxed for you by tomorrow - or, well, the weekend at the latest.”

“I still don’t really get why you’re doing this, but thank you so much!” she said with a smile as she started walking out the door.

“Oh, try not to think  _ too _ hard about it,” he mumbled, pushing the pair out of the door. As they slipped into the crowds, he turned on his heels and closed the door. “I  _ really _ hope Amitie never turns into a skeleton like me,” he said with a laugh. “She’s such a sweet thing, but, I swear, she’d forget her own head if it wasn’t attached to her!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, _some_ people are acting all shady...


	3. Chapter 3

“Alrighty!” Amitie kicked her front door open with a flourish and stepped inside, motioning for Sig to follow. “Let’s get this started! Oh, hey, Arle!” She took another step into the living room before stopping, blinking a few times and jumping back towards the doorway with a yelp. “Arle?! What are you doing here?”

“You said I could let myself in, remember?” Arle replied, eyebrows raised, as Carbuncle hopped around the room. “We kinda just made ourselves at home! Nice top hat, by the way.”

“Oh, right!” Amitie stepped into the center of the room and put her hands on the brim of her hat. “You’re never gonna believe this!” She closed her eyes and focused, letting out a hum of concentration as she felt the soft velvet of the brim shift into her usual woven beanie. 

“Whoa! Cool hat magic!”

“I know - isn’t it just wicked?” Amitie beamed, raising her chin and putting her hands on her hips.

Sig closed the door behind him. “What are you guys doing for lunch?”

“ _We,_ ” Amitie started, gesturing to everyone in the room with her finger, “are making curry! Right, Arle?”

“Well, not exactly.” Arle stood up with her head hung low, turning it slightly to meet Carbuncle’s gaze. “We’re not just  _ making _ curry, you see,” she started. Arle and Carbuncle shot their heads up, making the same motions, sharing the same fire burning in their eyes as Arle spoke. “We will be  _ crafting _ our curry! Ours will be a curry so powerful it will challenge the gods themselves! They will come down in a fit of rage, tearing the skies asunder and splitting the seas for the chance to reclaim their command over the art of curry. As the world collapses around us, we will stand strong against the storm. We will fight with every ounce of our being until we emerge  _ victorious over creation itself! _ And, when the dust settles - when we stand in the stillness, in the void that remains, we will have each other. We will have the strength to rebuild - to create the world anew. More importantly, we will have won. We will have our curry.”

“Gu gu-gu!”

_ Isn’t that a little much? _ Amitie thought, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh as Sig gave them a round of applause. “Wow,” she said as she pulled her hands to her sides, “you two are  _ really _ serious about curry, huh, Arle?”

“You could say that!” Arle extended her hand to let Carbuncle scurry onto her shoulder. “Now, let’s go! Amitie, we’ll start you on the roux - Sig, you’re with me and Carby on vegetable duty.”

 

As everyone else started chopping their different vegetables, Amitie poured the flour into the large pot on the stove and started stirring it into the melted butter. “How long should I be stirring this for?”

“About 20 minutes or so,” Arle replied, making quick work of the onion in front of her. “You’re gonna have to be careful, though! A roux’ll burn easily, so you’ll have to stir it constantly!” She looked up and giggled as Amitie slumped her shoulders over the pot. “We can take turns if you need a break,” she added with a grin.”

“Gu! Gugu gu gu!” Carbuncle chimed in, setting down his knife and pushing a plate full of chopped mushrooms towards the center of the table.

“Nice work, Carby!” Arle cheered as she patted the top of his head with her free hand. “Why don’t you help Sig with the carrots?”

“Ah,” Sig mumbled, looking up at the pile of unchopped carrots in front of him. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry!” Arle watched as Carbuncle jumped across the table before flashing Sig a smile. “There’s no problem with going at your own pace - Carby is just  _ extra _ serious when it comes to curry.” She turned over to the stove as she caught Amitie giggling. “I’m not kidding!” she shouted, grabbing another onion. “Carby’s the one who’s super serious about curry. He’s probably the one who made me such a fanatic about it today!”

“Gu gu! Gugu gu?”

“Oh, right! Speaking of serious, have either of you seen Ringo around today?”

“I saw her yesterday,” Amitie answered as Sig tilted his head. “Why, what’s up?”

“Well, this morning, I saw her heading towards Satan’s castle by herself,” she explained. Arle set down the knife and folded her arms. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Arle, you know Ta-Toon-Da Castle doesn’t really belong to him, right?”

“After all that ugly remodeling he did to make it his  _ swe~et _ home, he sure  _ thinks _ it does,” she said dryly, sticking out her tongue. “That aside, though, why would she go there? I can’t think of a good reason  _ anyone _ would want to go talk to him.”

Amitie hummed as she moved the whisk to her other hand. “She mentioned yesterday that she wanted us to play a game somewhere ‘incredibly cool.’ Maybe she meant the castle?”

“Those two  _ are _ kinda on friendly terms with each other,” Arle said with a sigh as she took her knife and started chopping another onion. “That makes more sense than what I thought - I was worried she was gonna have Satan send her back to her own world or something.”

“No way! Without Risukuma or Maguro?”

“Don’t think she would do that,” Sig added, reaching his hand forward for another carrot. His hand landed on the empty plate and he looked up towards Carbuncle to see a mountain of chopped carrots next to him.

“I don’t think she would either!” Arle exclaimed. “It was just the first thing that crossed my mind, I guess. I mean, I couldn’t imagine going back to  _ my _ world without all my friends who belong there.”

Sig set his knife down on the table as Amitie turned away from the stove. “You still miss your home,” he said, “don’t you?”

“Of  _ course _ I do.” Arle leaned forward and focused on the onion in front of her. “Don’t get me wrong - I love Primp Town and everyone in it. This might sound selfish, but I’m glad that so many of my friends wound up here, too. I’m surprised at how quickly they fit right in - I mean, they’re  _ thriving _ here! But, still, I miss everyone we left behind, you know? I wish they could see how much we’ve all grown.” With a sigh, she set the knife down and pushed the cutting board away. “I hate to say it, but I’m actually kind of jealous of them - Ringo and the others. I mean, they can travel between worlds as much as they want!”

“I don’t think they do it on purpose sometimes,” Amitie offered. “I mean, they seem really surprised half the time they show up.”

“I get that, but still. It doesn’t take that much effort for us to just pop into their world. Plus, Satan and Ecolo were open up a portal to the  _ edge of spacetime _ for crying out loud!” Arle threw her hands in the air in exasperation. “It just seems unfair that we haven’t found a way to go back to my world, yet,” she said with a sigh before leaning back in her chair. “I just don’t know why her world is so much closer than mine…”

Amitie stood still by the stove. Her brain ran past hundreds of things she couldn’t find the words to say. She fiddled with her bangle as she took a breath, hoping the words would find themselves. Hesitantly, she opened her mouth -

_ Gurgle! _

\- and shut it immediately.

Arle leaned forward and dropped her head in a fit of giggles at the sudden sound. “Sig, was that your stomach?”

_ Glurgle! _

Sig shook his head. “Amitie?”

“It wasn’t me!”

_ Glorp! _

“Gu gu!”

Amitie turned back towards the pot and jumped back. “The roux! Oh no, Arle, it’s all burnt - what do we do?”

Arle jumped out of her seat and dashed for the potholders on the counter. “Come on!” she called, grabbing the pot and running out the back door. She threw the pot out in front of her and took a step back, swinging her arm out and unleashing a burst of snowflakes towards the burnt pot. “ _Ice Storm!_ ”

“ _Blizzard!_ ” Amitie followed, tossing her hand up with a flourish as her own flurry of ice and snow shot out into the yard, pushing the pot forward a few feet.

Sig walked past the two girls and kicked the frozen pot idly with his foot. “Pretty sure no-one can eat this now.”

Amitie exchanged glances with the others and let out a nervous chuckle. “I  _ might _ have another big pot like this one somewhere in the house?”

 

“Alright, it’s settled.” Arle took the spoon out of her mouth with a satisfied smile. “The four of us are cooking curry together every day.”

“You got it,” Sig replied as he stood up from the table and grabbed his plate.

“Whoa! Didn’t you agree to that too easily?”

“Gu-gu!” Carbuncle added before licking his plate clean.

Amitie giggled as she looked at the last few bites on her plate. “What did you expect? Sig’s a really agreeable kind of guy, you know?”

“You’re one to talk, Amitie,” Arle said, covering her mouth and stifling a laugh.

“Can’t always cook with you guys, though.” Sig turned the faucet on and started rinsing off his plate. “Have to work for Ocean Prince sometimes.”

“Wait, you work for a prince?” Arle exclaimed as Amitie stood up and gathered the remaining plates from the table. “How did that happen?”

“Don’t really remember. He’s not a bad boss. Get three meals, naps, and, well…” he trailed off, closing his eyes with a hum. “Forgot. A couple other things, though.”

“I see,” Arle said with a smile. Her eyes locked onto the pot on the stove. “Do you mind if Carby and I take the leftovers home? We’ll bring the pot back as soon as possible!”

“Sure thing!” Amitie replied before dropping everything into the sink and poking her head over the pot. “We really did make too much, didn’t we? Is there enough rice left?”

“We should be good - right, Carby?”

Carbuncle flopped lazily onto the table. “Gu gu gu…”

“Yes, you sure are showing a  _ ton _ of restraint by not eating the rest of it yourself, Carby,” Arle said, scratching the top of his head. “You two still have places to be today, don’t you? We can finish cleaning up if you need to go.”

“Oh! Thanks, Arle!” Amitie flashed her a smile. “That’s so thoughtful!”

“It’s the least we could do since you let us come over!”

Sig walked to the back door and poked his head out. “What are you gonna do with the first pot?”

Arle stood up and leaned over him to look outside. “I can’t believe it’s still frozen,” she said before letting out a low hum. “I guess we could melt the ice off with magic.”

“If you use your ‘Fire’ and I use my ‘Flame,’ we should be good, right?” Amitie asked, cracking her knuckles as she walked towards the door.

“Please don’t.” Sig stepped out into the yard and grabbed the pot with the potholders. “You’re probably better off just letting it thaw in the sink,” he added, setting it down near the dishes. “You ready to go?”

“That’s probably the less destructive way, isn’t it?” Amitie said with a sigh as she walked out the door. “Thanks again for doing most of the cooking, Arle! See you guys tomorrow!”

Arle smiled as the pair closed the door and started walking around the front of the house. After a moment, Carbuncle turned to her. “Gu gu? Gu gu, gu-gu gu!”

With a laugh, Arle made her way towards the sink. “Now, now! Everyone else has been working really hard all day! Let’s bring this back to them and let them take what they want first - if there are any leftovers afterwards, you can have them. Deal?”

“Gu!”

 

Amitie let out a yawn as the two of them made their way down the path towards the shoreline. “Hey, Sig,” she started, rubbing one of her eyes, “have you ever taken Ocean Prince up on one of those naps?”

Sig hummed as followed the path of a honeybee with his eyes. “Maybe once or twice,” he said at last, turning back towards her. “Why? Do you need a break?”

“Get real, no way!” Amitie pumped her fists. “I’m super awake and ready to go!” She stepped forward onto an outjutting stone in the path and tumbled forward, holding her hands out as she wobbled in trying to keep her balance. “I guess  _ that _ woke me up, though!” she added with a chuckle.

“Maybe Ocean Prince will let you take a nap first,” he offered with a smile as they approached the dock.

Amitie brought her hand to her eyes to block out the sun as she something pink caught her eye at the end of the dock. As they walked closer, she could make out the shape of an envelope fluttering in the breeze stuck underneath a rock. She jogged to the end of the dock and grabbed the envelope, noticing where the sea spray had soaked through and let ink bleed through the enclosed letter. “Why did he leave this here?” she asked, breaking the small royal seal and taking the letter out.

“Maybe he got tired of waiting?”

“Maybe! We never agreed on a time, now that I think about it.” Amitie cleared her throat as she unfolded the letter and held it aloft before squinting and bringing it close to her face. “Oh, man, his handwriting is worse than mine!” she exclaimed. “Wait - Ocean Prince like to talk all fancy - maybe I should try to read it that way? Oh! Maybe I could  _ r-r-roll _ my r’s!”

“Sounds good,” Sig replied, scooting the rock to the end of the dock with his foot and watching it sink beneath the waves.

“‘Dea _r-r _ Amitie, I p _r-r_ ay this lette _r-r _ finds thee well, since thou does not appea _r-r _ to be cu _r-r-r-r_ ently p _r-r_ esent-’” Amitie stopped, pushing the letter away and clearing her throat again. “That’s actually really hard to do - I’m just gonna read the rest normally. Let’s see… ‘I pray Otomo has not yet’ blah blah blah, ‘the rules of our engagement shall stand as such: I shall refrain from hiding in any dwelling with a door,’ blah blah, ‘thou may request the assistance of any acquaintances’ - I’m don’t want to read the rest of this,” she said, slumping her shoulders and offering the letter to Sig. “It’s just hide and seek.”

Sig took the letter into his hands and looked it over. “It doesn’t say where he’s hiding?” 

“No,” she said, smiling as she picked herself back up. “That would kinda defeat the purpose of the game, don’t you think?” She folded her arms and sighed. “If I were Ocean Prince, where would I be? Maybe in the ruins?”

“It’s too creepy for him,” he replied. “He usually likes to play around town or in the woods.”

“Well, we didn’t see him when we passed through the town,” Amitie mused, tilting her head. “The woods are on the other side of town, though, aren’t they?”

“Yup.”

“So, we’d have to go all the way back that way if he’s hiding in the woods?”

“Yup.”

Amitie sighed and slumped her shoulders. “If we have to pass marketplace, I’d rather just go back home and take a nap,” she said with a yawn.

“You can go to sleep if you want to.” Sig put his hand on her shoulder and held the letter towards her. “See?” he asked, pointing to one of the paragraphs. “You can have somebody help you.”

“Yeah, but I should probably actually be  _ helping _ you!” Amitie stifled another yawn before flashing him a smile. “Come on - let’s try to look around here before we backtrack through town.”

 

Amitie pulled the edges of her hat down over her ears with a disgruntled sigh. “We’ve looked  _ all over!_” she cried, throwing her arms out in exasperation. “We’re practically back where we started! Where the heck  _ is _ he?”

“No idea,” Sig replied. He brought his hand to his forehead and scanned the trees lining the path.

“Poor Otomo - he deserves a medal for doing this every day!” She adjusted her hat with a hum before stopping in the middle of the lane. “Hey, Sig?” she called as she kicked a stray pebble into the grass. “Could we just...” she started, rocking back and forth on her heels and fiddling with her bangle as he turned towards her. “Do you think we could get away with just going to meet with Ringo and Maguro right now?”

Sig stood still for a moment before saying, “Maybe,” with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned back towards the trees and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“I just - I mean, we haven’t seen either of them yet. They probably don’t know I can make it since I was so unsure when we made plans!” Amitie started pacing around in circles, waving her hands around as she added, “Plus, I could just  _ tell _ Ocean Prince that I looked for him and just couldn’t find him, right? I mean, that’s not  _ really _ a lie, you know? How would he even know if-”

Sig snapped his arm out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. “He could have followed you,” he said in a low voice as he took a step forward. As Amitie tilted her head behind him, he waved her forward. “Come on.”

Amitie followed his lead and crept forward towards the base of one of the trees, listening to the rustle of leaves and the creaking of the boughs. She looked over and spotted Sig standing up on his tiptoes, reaching for one of the lower branches. “Be careful!” she said in a loud whisper.

Sig looked down and nodded to her before swinging to another branch. He quickly scaled to the top of the tree and looked around from his perch. “Oh.”

“Did you find him?” she asked, taking a step back to get a better view.

“Nope. It was just a squirrel.” He sat himself down onto a sturdy branch and pointed over to the squirrel on the next tree. “Unless he’s a forest prince?”

She smiled and planted her hands on her hips. “Well, you should go on home, Forest Prince!” she called, laughing as she watched the squirrel dutifully scurry away. She folded her arms as she walked forward, turning on her heels and leaning up against the trunk of the tree. “Any chance you can spot him from up there?” she asked, tilting her head upwards.

He scanned the area around them and frowned. “Nope. Still don’t see him.”

Amitie grumbled as she brought her head down. “We’ve checked all over the place, though - the seaside, the town, the forest,  _ back _ through town, and now we’re here…” she mumbled. “Where  _ else _ could he be?”

Sig swung his legs idly over the branch. “The tower and castle should be off limits,” he offered. “There’s no reason he’d be in one of the stores or the school or-”

“Wait - I’ve got it!” She slammed her fist into her open hand. “We didn’t check the flower fields, did we?”

“Huh?”

“The flower fields, Sig!” she exclaimed as she stepped forward and turned around, running excitedly in place as she added, “I bet that’s where he is! He’s probably hiding in the hydrangea blossoms - that’d be the perfect place for a pink little prince, right?”

“Amitie, he’s not by the flower fields,” he replied, his legs still, his hand tightly gripping the branch he sat on.

“Get real - that’s, like, the only place we haven’t looked!” she spun on her heels and started sprinting towards the fields, calling behind her, “Come on! It can’t hurt to check it out!”

Sig sighed as he leapt down from the treetops. He started to follow behind her, not quite keeping her pace, and muttered to himself, “Oh boy…” as the distance grew.

 

Amitie sprinted down the pathway towards the fields, her heart filled with determination as each step pounded against the stone and gravel. She turned her head behind her, feeling the wind blowing through her hair as she called, “Come on, Sig! We’re almost-” She stopped, taking a few clumsy steps backwards before falling over, rubbing her nose with her hands as she looked up to the wall she ran into. “Tarutaru?”

The wall - the boy turned around at the sound of his name. “Oh! Why, hello, Amitie!” he boomed, leaning over and offering her his hand.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she stood up. “Wait - tell me later!” She started running in place as she explained, “I gotta go to the flower fields and look for Ocean Prince! See you later!” She dashed forward, only to be greeted with a hand in her face.

“You can’t go there! Raffina asked me to watch the fields today,” he explained as he pushed her forward.

“What?” Amitie took a step back and tilted her head quizzically. “Raffina? Why would she want you to do something all the way out here?”

Tarutaru gave her a wide smile and planted his hands on his hips. “Why, that’s easy! I’m here to - wait,” he stopped, slumping over slightly and scratching the back of his head. “Actually, now that I think about it, I can’t really say. Sorry!”

She let out a sigh before folding her arms. “Tarutaru, I’m pretty sure she just - hey, wait a second!” she shouted, taking a step back and narrowing her eyes. “You were supposed to help Lidelle today!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Lidelle was worried about the rabbits since we didn’t have school today! She wanted to make sure they got food and playtime while everyone was gone!”

“Oh! Well, that’s quite noble of her!” 

“Isn’t it?” Amitie said with a smile before, remembering her anger, sharply pointing her finger up towards him. “But, she said she asked if you would help her and you told her you were too busy! Is helping Raffina by standing in the middle of a field doing nothing  _ really _ more important than helping your friend?”

“I think you’ve got it all wrong!” he replied, waving his hands out in front of him and taking a step back. “Lidelle never mentioned anything about the rabbits to me yesterday.”

“First you shrug off your duties to Lidelle and the rabbits, now you’re  _ lying _ to me?”

“I assure you, I’m not lying! Amitie, I think you should calm down.”

“I’ll show you calm!” she cried as she put up her fists. “To let me pass  _ and _ for Lidelle - I challenge you to a battle!”

Tarutaru dropped his head with a sigh. “Very well,” he replied, picking himself back up. “So be it!”

“ _Puyo Puyo Battle!_ ”

A light flashed around them as the two combatants took a step back and set to work arranging the pairs of Puyos falling from the sky, Tarutaru’s shaking the ground slightly as each landed in position. He looked over towards Amitie’s set up and smiled. “It’s been quite a while since we last battled each other, hasn’t it?”

“I guess so!” she called back, looking forward at the chain she had started setting up. She smiled as she set down a final pair and drew her hand across her chest, sending a bright ball of fire bursting from her fingertips. “Take this!  _ Flame!_” The fireball bounced across the field before dissolving into smoke, sending a small pile of Nuisance over towards Tarutaru.

“It’ll take more than that to defeat me, I’m afraid!” He let out a thunderous laugh as he thrust his shoulder forward. “ _Stream!_ ” he boomed, a torrent of water crashing in front of him, completely dispelling Amitie’s attack.

_ I can hear victory calling my name! _ she thought as she stared hyperfocused at her ever-growing chain, dropping one pair after another with whirlwind speed.  _ Just need a blue one over here, two reds down there to set that off… Oh! I bet I could extend it at the end with another yellow! _ Her eyes narrowed, a smile crept onto her face as she placed Puyo after Puyo until she felt her ears perk up.

“Amitie!” a voice called from behind her.

Amitie swung her head up and looked over her shoulder, spotting Sig walking swiftly up the pathway, carrying in his arms an unamused and wriggling Ocean Prince. “Sig! You found him!”

Ocean Prince looked up, his eyes widened in terror. “Look out!” he cried, pointing a fin wildly behind her. “Focus!”

She turned back around and saw her chain inaccessible, her pile nearly toppling over. “Oh no!” she exclaimed, frantically placing new pieces to try and fix her chain. “Let’s try this!” She summoned a gust of wind in her hand, feeling the energy grow as the chain fell, and tossed it outwards. “ _Cyclo-whirl!_ ”

Tarutaru chuckled as he set off his chain, the ground rumbling more and more violently with each subsequent  _ pop! _ of the Puyos until he shouted,  “Let’s see you handle this!” He slammed his foot to the ground, shattering and splitting the soil beneath him as he bellowed, “ _Earthquake!_ ”

Amitie tried and failed to keep her balance, her arms flailing as she fell backwards from the force of the blow. She opened her eyes in time to see the ground bounce back, sending a mountain of Nuisance towering ove head. She looked over to her set up, her chain still blocked by misplaced Puyos, and back up to the Nuisance above her before letting out a sigh. “Oh phooey,” she muttered, putting her arms up and bracing herself for the impact of the Puyos crashing down on top of her.

As the last piece of Nuisance bounced harmlessly atop the pile, Tarutaru, Ocean Prince and Sig rushed over to start clearing away the debris. “Ah. There you are,” Sig said, brushing away another small pile of rubble as he spotted the red of her hat. He held his hand out to her. “You okay?”

“Sorry about that!” Tarutaru said, taking her other hand and helping her back onto her feet. “I don’t recall that spell being quite that powerful!”

“Thanks, guys,” Amitie mumbled shaking her head as she regained her balance. She pointed to Ocean Prince, brow furrowed, and shouted, “You!” before taking her finger back and pointing it at Tarutaru. “No, you! You should go talk to Lidelle. It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she explained, dropping her hand to her side, “it’s just - I have a hard time believing that she would lie, you know?”

Tarutaru shrugged his shoulders and offered, “Perhaps I didn’t hear her? She can be very quiet sometimes.” He watched as Amitie folded her arms, nonplussed by his explanation before adding, “You have my word that I will ask her about this as soon as I see her. How’s that?”

“Thank you!” she replied with a smile before turning and lowering her head. “And, as for  _ you, _ Ocean Prince! Where were you?”

Ocean Prince flashed her a smug smile. “Why, hiding, of course! And, since thou hast proved unable to locate me, I believe I shall hide myself again!”

“Get really real!” Amitie reached forward and put her hand on the prince’s head to stop him from scrambling away. “That’s not fair!” she added with a pout.

Sig stooped down and pointed his finger near Ocean Prince’s face. “You said a friend could help her,” she said, putting the sea-soaked letter out of his bag. “You’re being unfair.”

“Thou hast betrayed me!” the prince shouted with a grimace. “Aren’t thee my loyal servant?”

“Is he not allowed to be both?” Tarutaru asked, tilting his head.

Ocean Prince swatted Sig’s finger away and folded his fins, muttering under his breath. “Fine,” he sighed. “I concede. Amitie, thou art free to leave.” He held one of his fins out and shooed her away.

“Thank goodness,” Amitie said with a sigh of relief. “Come on, Sig!” She straightened herself up and raised her fist in the air. “We’ve only got one more thing left on the list!”

“To Ta-Doon-Da Castle,” Sig said, standing up and copying her pose before following her back down the path.

As the duo walked safely out of sight, Tarutaru turned to the prince. “That was a little too close, don’t you think?”

Ocean Prince scoffed as he lead the way to the flower fields. “Pray thee, have more faith! I doubt she suspects a thing. Besides, Raffina doesn’t have to know. This shall be our little secret - a royal secret!”

Tarutaru groaned and scratched the back of his head. “All these secrets are giving me a headache…”

 

A chill shot through Amitie’s spine as she looked at the imposing castle walls looming over her. She mustered up her courage and, swallowing her fears with an audible  _ gulp!_, she knocked on the heavy oaken doors. As she brought her hand down, she turned to Sig and flashed him a worried smile. “I sure hope they’re actually here…”

From inside the castle, Amitie and Sig could hear the frantic, repeated thudding of footsteps echoing through the halls. One of the doors swung open in a flash, showing Maguro standing frazzled in the doorway. “Oh, good, you guys are finally here! ★” he said breathlessly. He stepped forward and put his hands on their shoulders. “You guys gotta help me - they’re unstoppable!”

“What’s wrong?” Amitie asked, her hands tightened at her sides. “What happened?”

“Where’s Ringo?” Sig added.

“She’s fine, she’s fine,” Maguro replied, taking his hands back and rubbing his temples as the two let out a sigh of relief. “It’s just - you know how sometimes Ringo can get a little  _ too _ excited about things? ★ Apparently, Satan is the same way.”

Amitie shared an uneasy look with Sig before turning back and asking, “What does that mean?”

Maguro sighed, dropping his hands to his sides and slumping his shoulders. “It’s probably easier if I just show you ★.” He turned around and ushered them inside of the castle. As they walked through the halls, two distinct voices echoed from a nearby room.

“You know,” the lower of the two voices said, “I was apprehensive when you mentioned bringing your little friends here for some silly  _ game _ . However, just looking at what we’ve done so far, I have to admit, I’m actually looking forward to this!”

“And that’s just the  _ setup!_” the other voice exclaimed. “Once we’re all ready, we’ll actually get to  _ play _ our cool characters! I really hope Amitie likes the ones we came up with…”

“Yes, it’s a shame your friend wouldn’t let up create more options for her. Why, I could probably have done this all day!” Satan let out a laugh that echoed across the castle as Amitie, Sig, and Maguro made their way to the dining hall. “Well, speak of the devils themselves!”

“Amitie!” Ringo jumped up from the table, a smile beaming on her face. “Oh, and you brought Sig with you!”

“Yes, well,” Satan started, his eyes narrowed as he watching Ringo sit back down, “welcome to my wonderful castle!” He let out another thunderous laugh and tossed his hair back with a flourish.

Amitie started to raise her hand and open her mouth to protest when she felt Sig’s hand land on her shoulder. “It’s probably not worth it,” he mumbled to her before taking a seat.

“You’re in for a splendid time,” Satan continued, oblivious to her protest, as he gestured towards the pile of papers under a large number of dice in strange shapes and sizes. “Ringo and I had such a delightful time creating our characters that we decided to plan out a few extra ones for to use so we could start right away.”

Maguro stepped up to the table and grabbed two of the character sheets and handed them to Amitie and Sig. “Here,” he said, taking a quick look at tops of the papers. “Amitie, you’re a paladin - you swing your sword to fight things. Sig, you’re a cleric - you  _ also _ swing your sword, but you also have some spells. You both have healing spells and armor, so, sorry, but I’ll probably be picking on you two during fights. ★”

“S-Sure, that’s no problem!” Amitie replied, scratching the back of her neck as she sat down. “So, Ringo, if we have swords, what do your characters have?”

Satan and Ringo turned to each other, the same proud glint sparkling in their eyes. “An excellent question!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air with a flourish. “Naturally, I am a demon with immensely powerful dark magic who, in an act of overwhelming generosity, opened an academy to impart my wisdom to those also gifted with magical talents.”

“Meanwhile, I’m a self-taught fledgling magician from the big city!” Ringo added, pointing to herself with a smile. “It’d had always been my dream to attend a magic school but, during my admissions interview, I was told that I had no potential.”

“She was just too unrefined for a school like mine!”

“Right, which is  _ utterly _ unfair! So, I started adventuring around on my own, studying and practicing magic my own way - kind of to show him who’s boss, you know?”

“Meanwhile, while she’s galavanting off who knows where, one of my students accidentally unleashed a huge and terrifying evil upon my school - one that threatened the very fabric of reality itself!”

“So, when I heard that there’s trouble at the academy, I came running back as quickly as my legs would carry me!”

_ These guys… _ Amitie thought, watching Satan and Ringo pose and climb over each other as they pretended to sling spells at imaginary foes, their voices getting louder and louder as their story dragged on.  _ Is this what he meant by ‘unstoppable?’ _ She snuck a glance towards Sig, who stared at the duo with his usual, half-lidded and vacant gaze, before turning towards Maguro, who held his head in his hands with his own hard-to-read expression. “Wow!” she exclaimed at a lull in the story, completely lost. “You two sound amazing!”

Ringo beamed as Satan tossed back his cape. “That’s just the beginning!” she said, sitting back down. “We haven’t even talked about how we met your characters!”

“You know you guys are only level 1, right? ★” Maguro called from the end of the table. He picked his head up and grabbed his phone from his pocket. “Forget fighting reality-bending monsters - you guys are in trouble if I make you fight too many rats. ★”

“Then make us stronger already!” Satan bellowed, folding his arms and taking his seat next to Ringo. “Surely, someone as powerful as us should be - I don’t know, level 50 or 100. Maybe even 500!”

“The game only goes up to 20,” Maguro replied flatly as he started tapping the screen, “and it’s a pre-made campaign. I’m not changing anything with a low battery. ★” He looked up and, catching the sinister stare Satan shot at him, meekly held his phone over his face. “Maybe the two of you lost your powers in the scuffle and are trying to get them back? ★”

Ringo patted the grumpy prince’s shoulder as he slumped into his seat with a sigh. “Now, since you guys are totally new to this, Maguro and I figured we would just go over the rules as we play. You guys ready?”

Seeing Amitie and Sig nod in unison, Maguro cleared his throat. “Okay, the four of you meet up in the Twin Cat’s Tavern…”

 

“Alright, so the last goblin takes his sword and goes to slash the nearest person - which is our wizard! ★” Maguro announced as he rolled his dice.

Satan barked out a laugh. “I’d like to see him  _ try _ to hit me!”

Maguro scrunched his face at the results of his rolls. “Well, he  _ definitely _ tried. The goblin slashed you clean across your chest! ★” he said, miming the slash with his hands.

“Excuse me?” Satan blinked a few times. “You’re saying he  _ hit _ me?”

“Yes? ★”

“Are you  _ quite _ certain?” he asked, his voice low, his eyes narrowed as his wings started to spread behind him.

“Whoa, hey now!” Ringo turned towards Satan and put her hand on his shoulder. “You can’t just bully him into changing what he rolled,” she said, shooting him a look until he relented.

“Thanks, Ringo! ★” Maguro flashed her a smile. “Don’t worry, Satan, it’s only 4 damage. Ringo, you’re up next. ★”

“Alright!” Ringo pumped her fist in the air as Satan wrote the number down on his sheet with a roll of his eyes. “I want to cast Acid Splash! So, give me that saving throw!” she exclaimed, pointing her finger towards Maguro.

“Okay, so, you lob this bubble of acid at the goblin and,” he paused, rolling a die and looking at the numbers, “at the  _ last _ second, he dodges out of the way, completely unharmed. ★ Next in the order is-”

“Wait, I missed?” Ringo dropped her hand to her side with a pout. “He beat my 13?”

“Yeah? Goblins are pretty dextrous, I guess. ★”

“Are you  _ sure _ I missed?” she asked, folding her arms and leaning over the table, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrow.

“H-Hey!” Amitie exclaimed. “Didn’t you just say something about not bullying him?”

“Not fair,” Sig add, pointing across the table at Ringo.

Maguro buried his face into his hands. “Can someone  _ please _ just kill this goblin so we can move on? ★”

 

“Okay, I want to help Sig!” Amitie exclaimed, clapping her hands together in front of her. “Is there something I can do to heal him?”

Maguro leaned over and hummed as he scanned her character sheet. “You want to use Lay on Hands? Okay, so you run over and put your hands on him to start healing him.”

Amitie placed her hands on Sig’s shoulders and started shaking him. “I’m gonna save you, Sig!”

“You don’t  _ actually _ have to -” Maguro started before snickering as Sig’s head lolled back and forth. “Alright, Sig, go ahead and heal 5 hitpoints. You’re conscious again - just in time for your turn! ★”

“Thanks, Amitie,” Sig said, dutifully scribbling the number onto his sheet as she let go of him. “Gonna use his sword on the bad guy.”

“Oh?” Satan leaned over the table. “Are you out of spells, too?”

“Nope,” he replied with a shrug. “Don’t need ‘em. This should work fine.” He picked up a die and rolled it onto the table, grinning as he saw the result.

“Impossible!”

“Again?! ★”

“Way to go, Sig!”

“That’s, like, the 5th 20 you’ve rolled today!” Ringo exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. “How do you keep  _ doing _ that?”

“Just super lucky,” he said as he reached for two other dice and rolled them. “That’s 14 damage.”

“Alright, awesome. ★” Maguro cleared his throat and started acting out the scene. “So, you  _ slash _ your sword into his side and the wizard drops to the ground. As he lands, he’s clutching his wound like this and he says, ‘No! This cannot be! You fools - do you have any idea what you’re doing?  _ Do you have any idea who I am?!_”

“‘We do and we don’t care!’” Ringo said with a smirk. “Oh! And, I rip the amulet off of his neck.”

Maguro smiled and shook his head. “Okay, as you take it, he falls over completely. With that, the evil wizard Lulba and my phone are completely dead. Great job, everyone! ★”

Satan chuckled as the others traded high-fives. “Well, I must admit, I  _ actually _ enjoyed myself with this little game of yours,” he said as he tossed back his hair. 

“Hey, that actually means a lot - thanks! ★” Maguro replied, beaming.

“So? Did we level up?” Ringo asked as she leaned over the table. “C’mon, what do we get at the next level? And what does the amulet actually  _ do, _ anyway?”

“Like I said,” he started with a shrug, “my phone’s totally dead. I know a lot about the system, but not all of that off the top of my head! ★”

Ringo’s fingers crawled along the top of the table towards his phone. “Well, you could  _ always _ let me try to charge it~!”

“Absolutely not. ★”

“Oh, come on!” she said with a pout. “I’ll use ‘Sine’ - that’s, like, my weakest spell!”

“Just cast it at a lower energy threshold and you should be fine,” Satan said as he reached across the table to gather everyone’s dice. He looked over to Ringo and balked at her uncertain expression. “Surely, you know what I mean by that, don’t you?” He looked around the table and furrowed his brow at the collective confusion on everyone’s face. “ _Seriously? _ You two attend a magic school, for crying out loud!”

Amitie shared a look with Sig. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“What’s a ‘lower energy threshold?’” Sig asked, quizzically tilting his head.

Satan muttered under his breath before clapping his hands together. “Imagine you’re in the middle of a Puyo battle: you’ve just set off a huge chain and are about to cast your spell. As the Puyos pop, though, you realize you’ve miscounted your chain and it’s too late to change your spell. Depending on  _ how _ you miscounted, your spell will either be stronger or weaker than it is usually.” He smiled as he saw a look of understanding on Sig, Maguro and Ringo’s faces. “So, generally speaking, a spell has a different range of power it can be cast at. For instance, Ringo, your ‘Sine’ will rarely ever be stronger than your ‘Integral’ spell, but could easily be stronger than your ‘Cosine’ or ‘Tangent’ if you’re not careful.”

“Could I ever cast ‘Integral’ and make it weaker than my usual ‘Sine?’” Ringo asked, standing up and starting to gather the character sheets.

“I doubt it. Again, you’d need so much energy,” he explained, holding his hands out to his sides, “to successfully cast that spell even at a weak level, that it’d be almost impossible to make it  _ that _ weak.”

“Oh, I see!” Ringo replied with a nod as she brought her hand to her chin. “So, I would have to just  _ barely _ cast ‘Sine’ and then-”

“Still not happening. ★”

“I still don’t get it,” Amitie said, tilting her head. “Why would you cast the wrong spell in a battle?”

Satan sputtered. “In a battle, you hardly ever do it on  _ purpose _ \- it was just an example!”

“Wait, Amitie, have you never cast the wrong spell before?” Ringo asked, slamming her hands on the table. “Is it possible you’ve never miscalculated your chain?”

“M-Maybe?”

“Amitie’s really focused when she’s in a battle,” Sig explained. “She’s really good at counting her chains, but she doesn’t ever look at her opponents.”

“See, I have the opposite of that problem! ★” Maguro said with a laugh while pocketing his phone. “I end up looking over so much that I end up messing up my chain.”

Amitie flashed him a smile. “Sounds like we both need to practice! It’s really hard for me to pay attention, like Sig said. It’s definitely something that Professor Accord…” she trailed off, the smile dropping from her face in an instant. She could feel the color drain from her face and a dark sense of foreboding gnawing at her stomach. “Says I have to work on…” she finished, her head growing heavy and fuzzy. She felt a hand on her shoulder and could see Sig mouthing something to her but couldn’t make out the words. She jumped out of her chair, knocking it backwards, as she shouted, “ _I have to go to the library!_ ” before sprinting from the room and out of the castle.

“Amitie!” Ringo called. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Why’s she going to the library? I thought we were the last ones on the list! ★”

“You are,” Sig replied, standing up. “Gonna go make sure she’s okay. See you tomorrow,” he added with a quick wave before dashing out of the room and following the path down to the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wuh oh...


	4. Chapter 4

Akuma stood just outside the library doors, keys clutched tightly in his velvety paw. He looked towards the setting sun on the horizon and sighed as he started tapping his foot impatiently against the cobblestone. “Child,” he said, his voice as smooth as his fur, “I must request that you tarry no longer.” He heard a muffled reply come from inside the library and rolled his eyes. He could feel a low rumble growing in his throat as he tapped his foot faster and faster until he threw his arms into the air and shrieked, “Boy! Hurry it up!”

“A~ku~ma~!” a voice called from down the path. Akuma recognized the mess of blonde hair underneath a strange red cap instantly and watched as she ran towards him. She skidded to a stop on her heels and rested her hands on her knees. “Are you-?” she started, panting as she tried to catch her breath. “Can I-? Don’t say- Is the library-?”

“Yes, Amitie, the library is closed now.” Akuma gestured towards the window showing the darkened rows of books inside. “I’m merely waiting for Klug to leave so I can lock up for the night.”

“B-But!” she sputtered, picking herself up and gesturing wildly with her hands. “The paper! The moonsunflowers! Akuma, I need the books to-”

“You’re more than welcome to stop by tomorrow and conduct as much research as you’d like.”

“You don’t understand!’ Amitie grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him back and forth. “The essay! Akuma, Professor Accord is gonna  _ kill _ me if I don’t have it done!”

He rolled his eyes and brushed her hands off of him. “Accord wouldn’t kill you over an essay. At her worst, she’d just be disappointed.”

“That’s even _worse!_ ” Amitie pulled at the edges of her hat and sunk to the ground, clenching her teeth and fighting the pinpricks starting to burn behind her eyes.

“Alright, I’m leaving,” Klug announced as he walked out of the doorway, zipping up a backpack before looking up with a yelp. “Amitie!” he cried, nearly dropping his bag to the ground. “What are you doing groveling on the ground?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered, pulling her hat lower over her ears.

Akuma shooed Klug out of the doorway and started locking the doors. “I’m sorry, Amitie, but, as I suggested, you can always come back tomorrow after your classes are done if you want to look over the books.”

She let out a sigh as she stood up and brushed herself off. “Thanks, but that doesn’t really help. It’s supposed to be due tomorrow.”

“What could you possibly be talking about?” Klug asked, swinging his bag over his shoulder and adjusting his glasses. “We weren’t given any assignments that were due tomorrow. Unless,” he added, leaning in with a grin dripping with arrogance, “you forgot something and were trying to turn it in late?”

“That’s not it at all!” Amitie stepped forward and narrowed her eyes as she leaned in, their noses nearly touching as she glared daggers at him. “Professor Accord gave me an extra assignment,” she said, staring him square in the eyes before relenting, slumping her shoulders with a sigh as she added, “But, I blew it.”

“I-I see.” He took a step back and readjusted his glasses before finding his second wind. “Well, how long did you have to work on it? Procrastination isn’t something you can just try to weasel your way out of!”

“Klug, be nice,” Akuma scolded, shooting him a look as he turned from the door.

“She gave it to me yesterday after class,” she answered before burying her face into her hands. She mumbled to herself before pulling her hands down and explaining, “I was  _ supposed _ to work on it all day today, but I got distracted because everyone kept asking me to hang out with them and I didn’t want to disappoint them and I  _ totally  _ forgot about it when Sig was helping me sort everything out and I  _ get _ that it’s all my fault - I’d work on it all night if I knew what I was doing, but I know I’d need a book or three and-”

“Then, come on!” Klug shouted, snatching one of her hand. “You can’t just stand here and cry about it - you have to go ask Professor for an extension!”

“Detention?” Amitie pulled her hand back. “I don’t want to get into any  _ more _ trouble, Klug! And, I’m not crying!” she added with a pout.

“Not ‘detention,’” Klug sighed, grabbing for her hand again. “An ‘extension’ - let’s ask her to give you more time! Let’s go!” He started running into town, dragging Amitie behind him.

Akuma turned and watched the two sprint towards the other end of town. “Well, I hope that’s settled, then,” he sighed, checking the library door again to make sure it locked properly. “Darn kids, making me late for my evening constitutional…” As he turned to walk away, he spotted a familiar blue blur barreling towards the library and let out another sigh. “Sig,” he said as the boy landed at his feet, “the library is closed for today. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

“Have you seen Amitie?” he asked breathlessly.

“She and Klug went to go visit Professor Accord.” Akuma closed his eyes and hummed before adding, “It’s a little late for a visit, don’t you think?” He opened his eyes and blinked once, then twice, before turning to his side and spotting Sig dashing into town. A growl rumbling in his throat, he threw his hands to his sides and shrieked after him, “You could have at least said ‘Thank you!’”

 

“I don’t think she’s home,” Klug mumbled as they approached the darkened house at the end of the street.

Amitie tilted her head. “Maybe she is and she’s just asleep already?” she offered, following behind him as they shuffled up the walkway. “I don’t want to bother her if she’s sleeping.”

“Oh, please.” He made a show of rolling his eyes as he stepped onto the porch and approached the door. “It’s just gotten dark out - there’s no way she’s already in bed.”

“But, Raffina says that ladies are supposed to go to bed early and Professor Accord’s pretty ladylike, dont’cha think?”

He scoffed as he turned around and stepped forward, arm extended outward. “I’m telling you, she’s probably not home yet.”

“Then, why are you knocking on the door?”

He looked down at his hand against the door and sputtered as he drew it back. “Why, you! Listen!”

Amitie brought her hands to her face and stifled a laugh. “Sorry, sorry. I guess, before I forget, I should say thanks for coming with me, Klug! I don’t think I would have tried to ask her for more time - definitely not by myself!”

He sighed, adjusting his glasses as he tried to peek through the window. “Well, don’t thank me yet,” he said, turning back towards her. “She’s not answering - she must still not be home from her lecture.”

“So, I guess we just have to sit down and wait for her to get back?” Without waiting for a response, she hopped down and took a seat on the porch step.

“You can’t just camp out on your professor’s stoop!”

“Do you have a better idea?”

Klug stood still for a moment before letting out a sigh, swinging his bag off his back and sitting down next to her, resting the bag in his lap. He opened it and pulled out several small strips of paper before looking over and spotting Amitie fiddling with her bangle. With a roll of his eyes, he handed her some of the paper. “Here,” he said, “since we’ve got nothing better to do. You can help me with these.”

“Huh?” Amitie set the strips on her leg and twirled one between her fingers as she watched him reach further into his bag and pull out a jar nearly filled with tiny paper stars. “Oh! Aren’t those the same stars you made for the cafe a while back?”

“They’re not the exact same ones,” he replied, setting the jar on the ground between them and taking off the lid, “but yes. It would have been nice if I had saved some of them. Here, help me fill this jar, at least.” He set the lid down at his side and started folding one of the strips between his fingers.

“What are you gonna use them for?”

“Don’t worry about that!” he exclaimed, admiring the finished star in his hands before tossing it in with the others. He turned to Amitie and narrowed his eyes. “Well, are you going to help or are you just going to sit there and watch?”

“How do you even  _ make _ them that fast!” she asked, turning her attention to her own pile of papers. “I’ve tried making them a few times before but never really got the hang of it. Could you, like, go a little slower and show me how to do it?”

He scoffed, a grin growing on his face despite himself, and picked up another strip of paper. “Fine. Watch and learn.”

 

Klug folded the last strip of paper and held the star out in front of him, rolling it between his fingertips before dropping it into the jar with a sigh. He turned towards Amitie, still sleeping soundly on his shoulder, and dropped his head. He wondered how long they had been waiting - wondered, too, the point of wearing a timepiece around his neck if it didn’t actually tell time. He bent down slowly, carefully and grabbed the lid for the jar, screwing it on tightly before setting the jar back into his bag. As he pulled the zipper closed, he heard footsteps approaching from the walkway.

“Hello, Klug. It’s a little late for a visit, wouldn’t you say?”

“Looks like Amitie’s here too - taking a little cat nap, from the looks of it!”

“Professor Accord!” Klug jumped up from the porch and stepped forward to greet his instructor, swinging his back onto his back.

Amitie awoke with a start, putting her arms out and catching herself before her head slammed into the porch step. She looked around, trying to piece together what had happened, before her eyes caught the bottom of Accord’s dress. She jumped up and offered a quick greeting, both to Accord and Popoi, before exclaiming, “Wait, that’s right! Professor Accord, I needed to talk to you about something!”

Accord covered her mouth with her hand, concealing her smile. “Of course, dear. Let’s get everyone inside and we’ll talk, shall we?” She walked between the two students and stepped onto the porch, revealing Sig walking closely behind her.

“Sig? What are  _ you _ doing here?” Klug asked, folding his arms across his chest. “I don’t suppose you  _ also _ failed to complete a supplementary assignment?”

“I don’t think he’s here for anything like that,” Amitie interjected with a wave of her hands. “But, what  _ are _ you doing here, anyway?”

“Akuma said you’d be here.” Sig blinked and, taking in the shared confused expressions of his friends, continued, “Amitie, you left the castle really quickly. Everyone was confused and worried about you. What happened?”

“Oh! Oh, right, that. Well, the thing is-”

“Excuse me, everyone!” Accord called from the front of the house. “You’re all welcome to move this conversation inside,” she added, opening the door with a flourish and sweeping her arm across her chest.

“Come, now!” Popoi added. “There’s no need to paw-dle! It’s late, anyway - all good kittens should be going to bed!”

Amitie let out a sigh. “I’ll explain it in a minute.” She turned on her heels and lead the group inside of their professor’s home. She looked around the front room, admiring the pale purple hue of the walls, before her eyes caught a glimpse of a tall bookcase filled with old novels and overflowing binders labeled ‘Lesson Plans.” She watched as Sig and Klug each took a seat and wordlessly followed them, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling where the walls were lined with musical notes.

“Can I offer the three of you anything?” Accord asked, snapping Amitie out of her fugue. 

As Amitie began to answer, Klug replied, “No, thank you. It’s very late and you just got home, after all - we wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Very well.” Accord stifled a yawn with her hand as she sat down with the trio. “Now, then, Amitie - I believe you had something you wanted to talk about?”

“Um, well, you see…” Amitie starting poking her fingers together before rolling her bangle against her wrist. “The thing is, um…”

“Cat to the chase, already!” Popoi cried, flailing around on Accord’s shoulder.

“I wanted to ask you for more time on my essay!” she shouted. She quickly clasped her hands over her mouth at her outburst before adding a sheepish, “Sorry!” 

“I see,” Accord murmured as she brought her hand to her chin. “Were you able to work on it at all?”

Amitie cringed and slumped her shoulders. “No, I’m sorry.” She pulled the folded schedule out of her pocket and handed it to her professor before launching into an explanation, her hands swinging wildly, nearly hitting Sig and Klug more than a few times, as she outlined her busy day. “By the time I remembered, Akuma was locking up the library. If I could have checked out some books, I would have been working on it all night, I swear!” She let out a sigh and folded her hands in her lap. “I know it’s not a good excuse,” she said softly, dropping her head, “but that’s how it happened. I totally understand if you say ‘no’ and don’t want me to do the essay anymore.”

Accord took another look at the paper in her hands before folding it and setting it down. “What do you think should do? Rather, Amitie, what do you think is fair for this situation?”

She picked her head up and took a deep breath. “I guess it’d be fair for you not to give me any more time,” she said with a sigh, spinning her bangle against her wrist. “I mean, it  _ was _ my fault that I didn’t make any time to work on it, today.”

Accord hummed as Sig and Klug exchanged an uneasy look. “Consider this, though. I gave you an incredibly wide topic to research. I also gave it to you with a very short timeframe. There are people who spend months and years of their time working on one particular aspect of the moonsunflowers and I expected you to pick a topic, conduct research and write a report in one day. Does that sound particularly fair to you?”

“I- Well, no, I guess not, but-”

“Then, what do you think the fair thing to do here is?” Accord watched as Amitie sat frozen across from her and added, “I really do want you to use this opportunity and improve your grades.”

Amitie jumped up in an instant and held her hands over her heart. “Professor Accord, I promise that, if you give me another day, I’ll work all day tomorrow on my essay! I’ll go straight to the library after class and I won’t rest until I’ve finished it!”

“Wouldn’t that give mew even  _ less _ time to work on it?

Klug pushed against his glasses and stood up next to her. “Could you give her the weekend to work on it, please? Amitie, if you can wait another few days, I’ll be able to help you write your essay.”

“What? Get real - really?”

“Absolutely,” he replied with a smirk. “After all, if you’re writing something with such a vast scope, it's only natural to solicit the advice of someone with a vast intellect.”

Accord let out a chuckle. “Very well,” she said as she stood up. “If that’s the case, how does Monday sound? With that much time and the assistance from one of your classmates, I expect your essay to be nothing short of wonderful.” With a smile, she leaned forward and held the folded schedule back to Amitie.

“Oh, thank you -  _ thank you, _ Professor Accord!” she exclaimed, her grin stretching from ear to ear as the took the paper back. “I promise, I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t, dear.” She covered her mouth and stifled a laugh. “Now, what do you suppose we should do about your friend?” she asked, gesturing toward Sig, sitting upright and asleep. “He lives on the other side of town, doesn’t he?”

“What?” Klug sputtered for a moment before putting his hand to his forehead. “He was  _ literally _ awake just a second ago!” With a sigh, he stood up. “Amitie, you take one shoulder and I’ll grab the other - we’ll start dragging him back home.”

“You can’t pawssibly be serious!” Popoi rattled on top of Accord’s shoulder until she stood up from her seat. 

She smoothed the wrinkles in her dress with her fingers before walking over. “Here, dear. I have a guest room he can stay at, instead. It’s much too late for you to be running all over town after dark.”

Amitie leaned back in her seat, dragging her hands down her face and sighing as she watched them carry Sig further into the house before dropping her hands back into her lap. She looked up, following the music written across the walls with her eyes, and tried to hum the melody as relief washed over her in waves.

 

_ This is it. I can’t take it anymore!  _ Amitie sat in the classroom and desperately tried to listen to the ongoing lecture but, unfortunately, found herself drawn back to doodling in her notebook. As Professor Accord expounded upon the finer points of chaining, she looked over her work from the last few hours - a bouquet of moonsunflowers, a pile of frozen Puyos, a rabbit chasing a toy, an assortment of hats, a bowl of steaming curry, a prince’s crown, and a glowing amulet.

**_Bing bong~♪! Bing bong~♪!_ **

“Okay, everyone,” Accord said, turning from the chalkboard, “I think that’s a good place to stop for now, anyway. You’re all dismissed - have a great day!”

Amitie piled all of her belongings into her bag and stood up, catching Klug walking up to the front of the classroom out of the corner of her eye. She tossed her pen towards the chalkboard and tiptoed over, trying to listen in on their conversation.

“So, Professor, were you able to talk to Lemres for me?” he asked, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels.

“Oh, yes, actually.” Professor Accord turned around and set to work erasing the chalkboard. “I spoke with Lemres and Feli both. He said he was very happy to hear from you.”

Klug beamed with pride as he pushed his glasses up. “Well, that’s to be expected! But,” he added with a sigh, “I don’t suppose  _ she _ had anything to say to me, did she?”

She hummed as she set the erasers down on the ledge of the board. “It wasn’t really a  _ message, _ per se…”

“It was more of a purrformance!” Popoi finished.

Amitie leaned over and slowly grabbed her pen as she turned her head to keep the duo in sight. She watched as Professor Accord turned from the chalkboard, dusted her hands off on her dress and put on the meanest scowl she could muster in front of Klug.

“Yeah,” he said, folding his arms and closing his eyes. “That sounds like Feli.”

Amitie quickly snatched her pen from the floor and covered her mouth with her hands, desperately stifling a laugh.  She spun on her heels and, pocketing the pen, made a dash for the doorway, where she bumped into a mess of blue hair. “Oh, Sig! Klug’s talking to Professor Accord right now, so if you need to talk to her, it’ll probably be a minute.”

“Nah,” he said with a yawn. “Just waiting for you to get out.”

She couldn’t help but flash him a smile. “Still sleepy from yesterday, huh?”

“Always sleepy. Surprised you aren’t more tired, today.”

“Sure, it got a little overwhelming here and there,” she said with a giggle as they started walking down the hall, “but I  _ did _ get to spend the day with a bunch of my friends! I wish  _ every _ day could be packed with that much fun!” As they stepped off of the final stair, she leaned over his shoulder. “So, so? What was it like?”

“Huh?”

“Professor Accord’s guest room!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. “She always makes a point to offer it if we ever need a place to stay, but I don’t think anyone’s ever used it before!”

“Oh.” Sig hummed for a moment. “It was nothing special.”

“Aw, what?”

“It’s just a guest room, Amitie.”

She slumped her shoulders and dropped her head, mumbling to herself before turning her head up with a glint in her eye. “Well, did you at least get a chance to learn any cool secrets about her?”

He stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, letting out a longer hum as he tried to think. “She’s a really sound sleeper. Her alarm went off four or five times before she woke up and shut it off.”

“Get real!” she said with a laugh. “I can’t even picture that!” She turned around to face him and rocked on her heels. “Say, I don’t know if I mentioned it at all, but thank you so much for helping me with everything yesterday!” she said, flashing him a quick smile before kicking a pebble down the path. “I feel kinda bad, though - we were together all day and we didn’t get to do a single thing  _ you _ wanted to do!”

Sig shrugged his shoulders. “You didn’t really get to do what you wanted to do, either.”

“Well, yeah,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest, “but, still! How about, to make it up to you, we can do whatever  _ you _ want to do today!” She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. “So, so? What should we do today?”

He smiled as he started walking forward. “Should go to the flower fields,” he called. “There should be something fun to do there.”

“Ooh, yeah! That’s a great idea!” Amitie exclaimed as she ran up to him. “We could probably catch a ton of butterflies over there - that’s what you had in mind, right?”

“Something like that,” he replied with another soft smile.

 

After several detours - including chasing a butterfly off of the path, watching a pair of beetles fighting on a stump, and stopping to follow a trail of ants to their anthill - the two finally made their way to the flower fields. Amitie couldn’t help but smile as she stretched out her arms and took a deep breath of fresh air. “So, what’s the plan, Sig? Ooh! Do you think we’d have any luck over at our class garden?”

“Maybe,” he replied with a shrug. “Gotta go to the windmill first. There should be nets and cages in there to use.” He led her over to the door on the side of the windmill and said, “Oh,” as the doorknob rattled uselessly in his hand. “That’s weird.”

“Huh?” She tilted her head as she looked over his shoulder. “Is it locked?”

“It’s not supposed to be.” He dropped his hand to his side and took a step back. “Maybe there’s something blocking it?”

Amitie hummed as she folded her arms. “Do you think we could ram it open, maybe?”

“It’s worth a try,” he replied with a shrug. “On 3?”

“You got it!” The two stepped away from the door and Amitie nodded her head to him. “You ready?”

“Yup. 3…”

“2…”

“1!” she cried, running at full speed towards the door -

“ _Sarang hae yo!_ ”

\- as it swung open from the inside and bright, purple smoke billowed out of the windmill. Amitie skidded to a stop just past the door frame, her eyes stopping dead ahead as she spotted Raffina and Lidelle standing next to each other in the center of the room -

“ _Ciel arc!_ ”

“ _Arcobaleno!_ ”

\- swinging her leg up and around and spreading her arms out wide, respectively, as an explosion of light shot up to the ceiling, leaving behind a pair of rainbows hanging softly from the rafters. Amitie followed the light before dropping her head down, her mouth open in awe, and noticing Klug behind the two, the jar sitting on the floor in front of him - 

“ _Ursa Major!_ ”

\- before the paper stars inside erupted out of it in a spiral, each sparkling with a golden or purple light as the flew higher and higher, settling in the sky in the same of constellations along the ceiling and walls. Her eyes jumped from star to shining star and followed the bend of the rainbows until the rest of the walls came into view, covered with balloons and a banner hanging just above a modest pile of presents.

“Surprise! Happy birthday!” a choir of voices shouted from every corner of the room. Amitie turned around to see a sea of familiar faces surrounding her - Lemres and Feli and Ocean Prince and Otomo proudly standing on opposite ends of a table filled with food, Arle, Carbuncle, and Tarutaru standing towards the center of the room, bright smiles beaming on their faces, while Ringo, Risukuma, and Maguro exchanged hi-fives near the doorway.

“Oh, my gosh - you guys! That was  _ amazing!_” Amitie exclaimed, bringing her hands against her cheeks. “The smoke, the rainbows, the stars - how long did  _ that _ take to practice?”

Klug chuckled as he stepped forward and pushed up his glasses. “Well, it wasn’t easy, I’ll admit,” he explained as he stopped between Raffina and Lidelle. “I think the two of you syncing your spells might have been the hardest part!”

“Obviously, my contribution wasn’t added until later,” Risukuma chimed in, turning around and putting his flasks onto one of the higher rafters. “Nevertheless, I’m glad it was appreciated.”

Ringo stood up on her tiptoes and patted him on the back. “I  _ told _ you it’d look cool, Ris!”

“And look at all of this food!” Amitie added as she walked over to the table. “Ocean Prince, you had Otomo prepare this, right?”

“Why, certainly!” he shouted, puffing out his chest and resting his fins where his hips might have been. “Thou shalt remember that I am a prince! A banquet of this nature is trivial for a prince to acquire!”

“It was just nice to have Your Highness stop by the castle for a while we underwent the preparations,” Otomo sighed.

“And this  _ cake _ \- it’s ginormous! This had to be you, right, Lemres?” she asked as she turned towards him.

Lemres let out a chuckle. “Na~tu~ra~lly! Of course,” he added, resting his hand on his classmate’s shoulder, “I had some extra help with the decorating.”

Feli held up her dowsing rods and, fighting back the blush creeping into her cheeks, said, “It is just as I foretold - she was absolutely surprised by this turn of events.”

“Who  _ wouldn’t _ be surprised? All of you worked so hard on this - it’s absolutely  _ incredible!_” Amitie said as she threw her hands out to her sides. She planted them on her hips and asked, “So, whose party is this, anyway?”

Silence. More silence as the party planners exchanged uneasy glances.

Lidelle spoke first, taking her hands from her face. “D-Do you mean who planned it? Raffina did most of the work organizing it, but-”

“No, no!” Amitie interrupted. “I mean, whose birthday party is this? It’s a little late for it to be Otomo’s or Ribbitie’s…”

“I appreciate you thinking of me, Miss, but-”

“And it’s too early to be celebrating Sig’s or the twin’s birthdays. Besides, I think Yu and Rei only like to hang out at the spooky mansion on the hill, what with being ghosts and all…”

Ringo gulped and clutched onto the back of Risukuma’s lab coat. “W-Why’d you have to bring  _ them _ up?”

“She can’t possibly be serious,” Klug muttered as he brought his hands to his glasses.

“I think she might be, ★” Maguro replied, walking over and propping his elbow up onto Klug’s shoulder.

“What’s with all the weird looks?” Amitie asked as she looked around the room.

“Amitie…” Raffina stepped forward, pinching the bridge of her nose. She stopped just in front of Amitie and placed her hand on her shoulders, gripping it tightly as she looked into her eyes. “Are you saying that you  _ forgot _ your own birthday?”

Amitie brought her finger to her chin, her eyes darting around the room and the gears turning in her head, as she tried to remember the date. “Get… get really real!” she exclaimed, pulling the edges of her hat down over her ears. “I forgot my own birthday?!”

Sig closed the door to the windmill and stepped forward. “Happy birthday, Amitie.”

“Wait, so - hold on.” She dropped her hands to her sides and looked around the room again, her eyes narrowed. “How did you all  _ do  _ this? Like, I  _ saw _ all of you yesterday - how did you have the time?”

“About that.” Raffina folded her arms and clicked her tongue. “Our plan ran into a  _ little bit _ of a snag near the end,” she started, digging into her pouch and pulling out a folded piece of notebook paper, “but we made it work pretty well, don’t you think?”

Amitie’s eyes widened as she snatched the paper from her hands, unfolding it and nearly dropping it as she recognized Sig’s handwritten copy of her schedule from the day before. “I - but- How did-  _ When _ did-” she sputtered, flailing her hands wildly around as she tried to find the right words. “ _What?!_ ”

 

Raffina had dropped her leg after her kick and had arced her head up to admire the rainbows above them. “Nice one, Lidelle!” she exclaimed. “But, do you think we could get them higher next time?”

Lidelle took her hands from her face and smiled. “We can give it a try!”

“Excellent! Then, let’s-”

“A-actually! There’s something I n-need to ask you.” She rubbed the fabric of her sleeves with her thumb. “Did you happen to speak with Amitie today?”

Raffina tossed back her hair. “As a matter of fact, I did. I’ll be keeping her busy tomorrow while everyone finishes setting up, here.”

“Wait,” Ringo called, tying the end of a balloon and passing it to Risukuma. “ _You’re _ going to keep her busy?”

“Is that a problem?” she asked, leaning forward, hands planted on her hips. “I’m sure you all can manage everything without me tomorrow.”

“It’s not that…”

“We’ve already asked her to do something is us, ★” Maguro finished, handing Ringo a balloon filled with air.

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

Ringo jumped, letting go of the balloon. “We figured, since you guys had been planning this for so long, the least we could do is keep her distracted!” she explained as the balloon fluttered this way and that around the inside of the windmill.

Raffina sighed as she brought her hand to her head. “Are the  _ three _ of you doing this together, then?”

“Oh, no,” Risukuma said, stepping down from the stepladder. “I figured I’d stay back and lend a hand with the decorating.”

“Okay,” Raffina muttered while folding her arms. “If it’s just the three of us, I can take her-”

“E-Excuse me!” Lidelle cried, grabbing at Raffina’s sleeve. “I-I also spoke with Amitie today and made plans.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I d-didn’t realize you had already talked to her until she mentioned having to meet up with you before me,” she said, wringing her hands together nervously.

Before Raffina could open her mouth to reply, the door to the windmill swung open and Arle and Carbuncle stepped inside, their arms overflowing with markers, streamers, origami paper, bags of balloons, and confetti. “We’re back!” Arle exclaimed as she walked to the side table and dropped everything. “You guys don’t have to worry about the Amitie situation,” she said, turning towards the others and smiling. “I’ve got it all under control!”

Raffina brought her hands to her temples and glared. “Don’t tell me - you, too?”

“Of course, us two!” Arle put her hands on her hips as Carbuncle jumped onto her shoulder. “Carby and I are a team, after all!”

“I think she meant ‘also,’” Ringo said, bringing her hand to her chin. “As in, we  _ also _ made plans with Amitie, apparently.”

Raffina swung her fists to her sides and lifted her head to shout, “Did anyone  _ else _ make plans with Amitie for tomorrow?!”

Klug snickered from his spot along the wall as he tossed in another paper star. “You can be assured  _ I _ did no such thing,” he said, grabbing another strip of paper. “I doubt Lemres and Feli spoke with her, either.”

“They should be keeping Professor Accord busy at the guest lecture,” Raffina muttered as she started to pace around the center of the room. “Though, I guess there’s a chance they  _ could _ have-”

“All of ye have no reason to worry!” Ocean Prince declared, stepping forward with Sig following closely behind. “She will be far too preoccupied with scouring the town for  _ me _ to have time to deal with the likes of you!” He lifted his chin into the air and puffed out his chest.

Sig bent down towards the tiny prince. “That’s a bad plan.”

“The point of distracting her was to keep her  _ away _ from the flower fields!” Raffina cried, picking the prince up and shaking him about. “If she’s searching all over town for you, she’s eventually going to end up  _ here!_” She dropped him and held her head in her hands, mumbling to herself as she explored her options. “Tarutaru!” she called with a snap of her fingers. “Change of plans - tomorrow, I need you to guard the edge of the fields and keep Amitie away.”

“Anything for you, Raffina!” he replied with a salute.

“T-That doesn’t sound right,” Lidelle said. “He can’t just stay there all day.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine,” Raffina said, dismissing her with a wave of her hand. “Risukuma’s tall enough to reach everything Tarutaru can - he’ll just have to work twice as hard to pick up the slack.”

“I meant that you shouldn’t have him standing guard all day,” Lidelle clarified. “He’s not a scarecrow, you know.”

“Fine.” Raffina rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “You, Ocean Prince - cancel your plans with her, then. Actually,” she said, lifting her head and addressing the others, “we should pick just one or two of us to keep her busy. Everyone else will need to cancel so they can stay back and prep for the party.”

Sig tilted his head. “That’s a bad plan, too.”

“Oh? And just how do you figure?”

“Amitie would get sad if everyone canceled on her.”

Arle stepped forward as Raffina folded her arms. “I think I get what Sig’s saying. Raffina, if everyone asked her to do something and then bailed on her the next day, the  _ best _ case scenario is that she’d be suspicious of everyone. At the worst, she’d probably think we’d all gotten mad at her or something, right?

Sig nodded his head and looked around the room at everyone’s uneasy and uncertain faces. “So, now what?

“I think that’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Arle took Carbuncle from her shoulder and held him out in front of her. “You wouldn’t happen to have any ideas, now, would you, Carby?”

“Gu…” Carbuncle replied with a frown, his ears drooping. “Gu gu-gu.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” she sighed, setting him down on the ground. As she stood up and folded her arms, she caught sight of Sig turning around and walking towards the door. “Where are you going?”

“Gonna go talk to Amitie.”

“Huh?”

“Gotta plan,” he said. “Gonna see how she’s handling everything - make sure everything’s fine. Tomorrow, whoever she sees first will bring back a schedule for everyone.”

“And, what are you going to do?” Raffina asked. “Someone should go with her and keep her on track tomorrow, wouldn’t you say?”

“Probably,” he replied with a shrug before walking outside and closing the door to the windmill behind him.

 

“So, like I said,” Raffina finished, folding her arms, “it got a little chaotic for a moment, but I think we did a fairly good job.”

Before Amitie could respond, the door swung open again and a pile of boxes with a top-hat-wearing skull on top walked in. “Oh, drat,” Oshare Bones said as his body walked towards the pile of presents. “I think we missed the surprise part, darling.” He set down the presents and picked his head up, reattaching it with a  _ clack! _ of his bones before walking back towards Professor Accord, who still stood in the doorway.

“Wait! So, you guys knew about the party, too?”

“Well, I knew your  _ birthday _ was coming up, sweetpea! I didn’t know until yesterday there was a big surprise party planned,” he replied with a wink in Sig’s direction. “Trust me, you’d know if I had anything to do with this event. There’d be a man outside with a checklist and a sign - ‘You must be  _ this _ fabulous to enter!’” he added, waving his hand around.

Accord stifled a giggle with her hand. “I had the feeling I knew what was going on when it was so strongly insisted that my guest lecture take place yesterday,” she said with a smile as she put her hand down. “Had I had known everyone else's plans, though, I might have waited to offer you that extra assignment.”

“Extra assignment?” Lidelle repeated, tilting her head.

Klug pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Don’t worry about it - it’s all taken care of.”

Amitie looked to everyone in the room again, her heart beating warm in her chest. “You guys,” she started, trailing off as she dropped her head. “You guys did all of this just for me?” She smiled as she closed her eyes, fighting back the tears she could feel welling behind them.

“Of course we did!” Raffina replied. She ducked her head down to look at her before lifting Amitie’s face with her hand. “We’re your friends, aren’t we? You don’t have to be so surprised.”

“Isn’t that the point of a surprise party?” she asked, sniffing as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. As she dried her eyes, she noticed the soft blue of the fabric and held the kerchief out of her, nearly dropping it in shock. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “I totally forgot to give this back to you, Sig! I’m sorry!”

“That’s okay,” he replied with a smile. “You can just keep it, if you want.”

As Amitie opened her mouth to thank him, Raffina held her hand over her mouth and let out a laugh. “I  _ sincerely _ hope you plan on giving her a  _ real _ present and not just  _ that_!” she teased, swinging her arm around his shoulder and ignoring his glare.

“Wait, wait!” Amitie exclaimed as she pocketed the kerchief. “I almost forgot - wait just a second!” She closed her eyes and, holding her fingers to her temples, concentrated with a hum. She thought of warm thoughts, of being surrounded by her friends, of the fun she had yesterday and the fun she was soon going to have. As the bright thoughts filled her mind, she felt the hat on top of her head grow taller and more narrow until it ended with a point at the top. Satisfied with her new party hat, she opened her eyes with a huge grin. “ _Now_ , it’s time to party!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (let's all pretend this was uploaded in May, when Amitie's birthday happened, okay?)  
> This is the _longest_ piece of writing I've ever completed, dudes! :D So, lemme just say "Thank you!" for reading this fic! Please go ahead and leave any comments, questions or criticisms and thanks again for sticking with me  <3


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